A Tale of two friends
by cheerful-angel57
Summary: [COMPLETE]KimikoxRaimundo, KimxOC. Kimiko meets a new friend through instant messaging, and Raimundo doesn't trust him. Will he try to break them up, and will he end up falling for Kimiko too?
1. Chapter I

**A tale of two friends…**

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**A/N:** Hello! This is my first Xiaolin Showdown fic… I like this show cause it reminds me a lot about Teen Titans, and I'm a big fan of that show. I decided to write a RaimundoXKimiko fic because I like them. Hehe! Although I keep wondering, what is the real hair color of Kimiko? But she's a really cute character. Haha! Anyways, I'll stop my chattering here and get on with the fic… RaimundoxKimiko and KimikoxOC. Enjoy!! :) Oh yeah, one last thing… Kimiko and Raimundo are really best friends in here (Although it's not likely for that to happen).

**P.S.** Okay, I know the title sounds a lot like the one of Charles Dickens' books, "a tale of two cities", but that's not where I got the title, okay? :)

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Xiaolin Showdown.

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**--Chapter I--**

"Hey, Rai!" Kimiko said eagerly.

"Hey Kimiko. What's up." Raimundo said tonelessly, obviously not interested.

"Whatever, Raimundo. I was just trying to cheer you up for once. It's always so gloomy around here." Kimiko said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes at her best friend and teammate Raimundo. He was busy tapping away at his laptop.

"Kimiko, there is someone at the door waiting for you." Said Omi, who came in the room.

"Some cool, fancy dude." Clay added.

Kimiko stifled a giggle. She was sure that the guy at the door was the one she had recently met through chat.

"What guy?" Raimundo asked, closing his laptop and he looked curiously at Kimiko. "Do ya mean to tell me you are _dating _a guy?" he said in a shocked voice.

"Whatever, Raimundo. It's none of your business." Kimiko answered coolly. Even if he was her best friend, he was just too annoying sometimes.

Raimundo had become quiet, somehow he decided not to retort, and the room became peaceful. Omi had taken to practicing his moves while Clay was talking to the dragon.

So she let her thoughts swim through her brain, and one of these thoughts was when she had been bored and she opened her laptop to chat…

_**--FLASHBACK…--**_

'Geez, there's nothing to do around here. I finished training, and I played almost all the games on the Gameboy…' Kimiko thought. There was no one there. Raimundo had gone with Omi and Clay to the grocery, and Master Fung was meditating with several other monks.

_So she picked up her laptop and opened it. She opened her instant messages and soon she was invited to a conference with several of her other friends who were girls. _

_**Sal24: Hey, Kimiko, we want you to meet a new friend of ours.**_

_**Jan87: Yeah, he's really nice. You'll like him. **_

Kimiko hesitated. 'Sure, why not? I've not been meeting anyone new since I came here.' She thought.

_**Kimiko08: Sure, why not?**_

She waited a few seconds until someone new joined the conference.

_**Bashmond: Um, hi Sal, Jan… and hi… what's your name? Kimiko?**_

_**Kimiko08: hi… yeah, my name's Kimiko. What about you?**_

_**Bashmond: I'm Ben Ashmond. Nice name, Kimiko… :)**_

Kimiko blushed. That was the first time she met him.

_**--End of Flashback…--**_

Since then, Kimiko and he started sending emails to each other. They have been going through this for one month already, and Ben had suggested that they meet someplace. And now, Kimiko was pretty sure that he was waiting for her now downstairs.

She couldn't decipher the look on Raimundo's face, but she could tell that he was definitely not in a good mood. There were lines appearing on his face, as if he were jealous. But he couldn't be… Maybe it was because of the fact that he was her best friend and she never told him about it. So Kimiko grabbed a purse from her room, dropping by the mirror to make sure that she looked acceptable, and bounded downstairs, saying hastily, "See you guys!"

"See ya." Omi and Clay called after her, but Raimundo merely shook his head. When Kimiko was out of earshot, he said, "I have a feeling that she is headed for trouble." He mumbled. He looked out the window, and saw Kimiko get in a flashy red car with a really handsome, brown haired guy and two other friends. _'I don't trust that guy… Better keep an eye on Kim…' _Raimundo thought, because even though he was sometimes grumpy and hard to talk to, he still cared a lot for his friends' welfare, especially Kimiko's.

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**End of Chapter One…**

A/N: Well, here's where chapter one ends, please review! Chapter 2 coming up…


	2. Chapter II

**--Chapter II--**

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A/N: Hello! It's me again! Well, I haven't been writing for a pretty long while! Hope you guys like it! Thanks by the way for the sincere reviews.

Disclaimers: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown.

Oh, and before I start the chapter, I want to thank all the people who reviewed! I really, really appreciate it. Especially cause it's my first time to write a Xiaolin Showdown fic. I usually write fics for some animes I like, but I love this show so much:) hehe!

To:

**Cartoonhottie200: **thanks for the review! And the comment too! Hehe… hope you'll like this chapter too!

Kitty-krazy04 and spicydonut185: Yup! Here's the update… ok, thanks for the info! Hehehe… 

**Gnetix:** really, you don't get the story? Hehe! Guess I have to work harder then… :) Thanks for the comment anyways!

**Derry Babe: **Really:) wow! Thanks:) anyways, your wait's over… here's the next chapter!

**Katana-Babe: **thanks for the review:) hey tell me if this chapter's okay! Hehehe… thanks!

**Cute Peridot816:** hehehe! Thanks for the review! Really? I write… maturely? Wow first time I received a comment like that… thanks:D Yup Omi is cute! And Clay too, hehe!

**hyped up gurl: **thanks! Here's the next chappie :)

**Azn-kyute: **you like anime too? Cool we got something in common :) hehehe! Thanks for the review!

**Lyzz2nwn: **thanks for the review:D

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"Bye guys! I need to go! I need to practice…" Kimiko called, waving her hand as she grabbed her gym bag, swinging down the staircase. She usually went to a certain kung fu class outside. Raimundo once asked her why she didn't want to train in the house with Master Fung instead of going outside just to take a class. Kimiko wanted to because she never really went outside unless she needed to.

Raimundo rolled his eyes. _'Practice? Phooey. It's that Ben Ashmond guy again. Man, all she's been talking about all this week is that stupid dude.' _Raimundo scoffed. He was just trying to get used to not seeing his best friend Kimiko around. She usually lazed around the house, playing with her laptop, and with all those high-tech gadgets you don't really see around.

"Kimiko's been really busy lately," Omi commented in his Chinese accent. Omi pulled a fighting stance.

"Yeah." Clay responded, twirling his lasso around like some kind of cowboy. Raimundo just wanted to scream at them that Kimiko wasn't spending her time doing whatever practice, but she was flirting with a guy she barely knew! But Raimundo knew better than that. If he had screamed that, he would be betraying his best friend.

'_I can't turn traitor on Kim, no matter what… remember the promise…' _he told himself, biting his lip to keep his mouth shut. Kimiko had told him about her first "date" with that Ashmond guy. One of these days, he'd have to keep an eye on that guy to keep him away from Kimiko if ever he showed any signs of him being dangerous, or whatever…

'_As much as I wanna spill the beans on the Almond, I can't cause Kimiko made me promise, and no matter what secret she tells me, I have no right to betray her trust. No matter how much I'm starting to dislike that guy…' _Raimundo thought, thinking of the nickname he had devised for Ben Ashmond. He tried cooling his head off, but it didn't work. He bet even if he stuck it in the freezer, his head wouldn't cool down.

He took a sip of his hot cocoa and rubbed his eyes. It was still 9:00 in the morning one Saturday, and he had slept at 3 A.M. Man, was he sleepy. _'I wonder how's Kim's doing with Almond.' _He couldn't help thinking.

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Kimiko, meanwhile, was strolling on the roads to the nearest mall. She picked up her bag, because inside it something was vibrating. She zipped open her bag and picked up her cellphone, which was causing all that vibration. She took a look at the name of who was calling her cellphone.

_Ben Ashmond. _Her heart beat quickly. Her hand was shaking as she raised the phone up to answer it. "H-hello?" she stammered.

"_Hey, Kimiko! Where are you?" _

"Um, I'm here, like where you said we would meet." She said nervously, unable to breathe.

"_Oh, okay. I'm near there. Can you wait for me? I'm sorry there's a big traffic jam here."_

"Sure!" she said shakily. Then she hung up.

It was normal for her to be nervous because it was the first time that she met with him without her friends. It was Ben's idea. He decided that there would be more "privacy" without Jan and Sal. Sal and Jan were usually the ones who were talking, gossiping, and they were both cheerleaders. They were the type to know everything about anybody, and were really flirty and popular. Kimiko usually disliked that attitude, but these girls were decent, and it was a way to get "news."

But Ben knew that Sal and Jan would just be "messing around" with them, or teasing Kimiko about Ben, so on and so forth. They both decided to meet without them knowing.

'_If Sal and Jan find out, we're dead,'_ Kimiko thought. Knowing her friends, they usually had "spies" usually their fellow cheerleaders, the ones who share the gossip and news around. That was why Sal and Jan usually knew the gossip going on.

"Kimiko! Hey!" someone called from behind her.

Kimiko turned around, seeing Ben striding to reach her. Her heart beat quickly as he slowly came to her through the crowd. She could see his short brown hair following the flow of the wind, those heart-stopping acid green eyes, and the charming, handsome face. She was frozen to the spot, unable to move. Her brain kept ordering her limbs to move, and her mouth to speak, but it seemed like her limbs and mouth had minds of their own.

"H-hi!" she forced herself to say as he approached her.

"Hey," he said, beads of sweat running down his forehead. He took out his handkerchief to wipe the sweat off and gave her a mega-watt smile, showing all of his clean, pearly-whites.

"Sorry I'm late." He said, panting quickly to catch his breath. "It was a hell of a traffic back there, and I was worried that you were waiting really long for me." He said.

"No, not at all," Kimiko tried to say casually, even with the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She waited for him to finally catch his breath, and he said, "So, you ready?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kimiko answered. They were going to watch a movie. "Oh yeah, one more thing…" Ben started to say.

"Yeah?"

"You look really nice today, Kimiko." He said, grinning.

Kimiko blushed crimson. _'If he only knew how handsome he is whenever he flashes that smile.' _She thought dreamily. Ben wasn't like anyone she had ever met. He was charming, sweet, nice, great to talk to, a great listener, handsome… the list could go on and on. Kimiko felt like she wanted to get to know him more. She was intimidated by his charming personality, and she felt herself get attracted to him each and every day.

'_Could this possibly be a crush?' _she thought, her cheeks flushing. She had had crushes before, usually on celebrities. But she had never had a crush on a person she knew.

"So… which one would you like?" he asked her casually, leading her into the ticket area. The crowd was thickening in there and people were busy buying tickets. "The romantic flick or… a horror movie? Your pick," Ben told her jokingly.

Kimiko had an eye out for action movies, action being her favorite genre of movies, but she wanted to watch something else aside from the old kung fu flicks she always watched with Omi, starring Jackie Chan or Jet Li.

So she decided, why not a romantic flick? After all… she had never tried one before. She had nothing to lose.

"I guess the romantic one," she said.

"Figures. I never met a girl who didn't like romantic films." Ben teased.

"No, actually I'm more of the action movie kind. But since… there are only two choices… I never tried romantic films, anyway. They never really were my kind of thing." Kimiko admitted.

Ben laughed. "Wow! This is the first time I met someone like you, Kimiko." He said. "Please take that as a compliment." And he flashed another grin.

Kimiko blushed again. _'I can't believe he complimented someone like me!' _she thought excitedly. She was enjoying this meeting (Or you could say, date… XX) a lot.

* * *

"Where is she?" Raimundo complained, looking at his watch. Kimiko was really, really late. She was supposed to meet Omi, Clay, Master Fung and him at a Chinese restaurant. And she was already a half an hour late.

"I don't know. Maybe she took a long time at her practice." Omi said, playing rock-paper-scissors with Clay.

Master Fung had his head bowed solemnly. "Kimiko's not far now," he said after a moment of silence.

Before Raimundo could concoct a sentence, the swinging of the door disrupted him. Kimiko came running in, panting, and out of breath. She dragged her feet to their table, her raven black hair, which was usually in two neat ponytails, was in a rugged mess, but she was smiling.

"Wow, sorry I'm late," she apologized. "We had a lot of practice today."

She sat down right beside me, giving me a solitary wink. "I saw him today," she whispered. Raimundo pretended to be interested, giving her the biggest smile he could muster.

"He was… just so perfect." She said dreamily, rearranging the food on her plate.

"Aren't you going to eat that?" He asked flatly.

"Yeah…" she said, obviously still in dream world.

Raimundo rolled his eyes. Talk about lovesick. His best friend was turning into a zombie. He desperately wanted to bring her back to reality by saying "KIMIKO! GET REAL! I DON'T TRUST THE GUY YOU'RE WITH!"

But he ruled that out. That would make him sound like a blundering idiot in front of the whole restaurant. And Kimiko would get in trouble, cause all of her friends would know about Ben. And she would also be in trouble with Master Fung because she lied to him. And most of all she would get really, really mad with Raimundo.

The last time she had gone mad with Raimundo, she completely ignored him for 2 weeks. She hung out with her other friends and made gritting remarks whenever Raimundo attempted to talk to her.

But it was a good thing that they resolved it, and they went back to being friends again. Raimundo swore that he wouldn't ever try to make Kimiko mad, knowing how she got angry, and he was sure that she wouldn't try to make him mad either. She had never seen him extremely mad. _'And believe me, she wouldn't want to see me mad,' _he thought.

"You know, he asked me out for another date," Kimiko whispered excitedly. "It was so exciting a while ago. You should have been there, Rai! He said I was so fun to be with." She gushed. Her face was glowing, with a certain glow that Raimundo had rarely seen. It sounded like she finally had a crush she could connect with.

It wasn't like Raimundo wasn't happy for her. But if Kimiko liked this guy and trusted him, then maybe he could trust that guy too, as long as he never hurt Kimiko literally. He was going to pay if he did that.

"Okay, Kimiko." He said plainly. He never wanted to listen to mushy love stuff. That was the reason why he never liked girls. He thought that it was plain infantile. But he didn't want to hurt Kimiko's feelings.

All through out dinner, all Kimiko did was gush about her fabulous date. And Raimundo was bored to death. _'When would this ever end?'_ Raimundo thought desperately.

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A/N: Well, here ends "The tale of two friends" chapter II. I hope you all like it! Any comments? Questions? Suggestions? Violent reactions? Please tell me in a review… It would be very much appreciated. Thanks:) 


	3. Chapter III

**-Chapter III-**

Disclaimers: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown.

A/N: Hey there again! Thanks for the reviews! Sorry I can't really update much, but I'm doing whatever I can for this story so that I can update quickly. I'm in an internet/gaming place now so I decided, why not update? So… here are the answers for reviews…

**Katana-Babe: **hehe! Well… Yeah, I'm also on Raimundo's side! Yeah:) Kimiko should really watch out for that guy… I dunno, if I was in her place, I would probably think first before meeting him… You can't really trust too many people these days… but I'm not saying Kimiko's like, stupid… she's not! Anyways, not saying anymore there… :D Thanks for the nice review!

**Tamer Terra: **Thanks for adding me to your author alert! I'll read your stories too… you have Teen Titans fics too right:D Hope you'll like the next chapter!

**Derry Babe: **Thanks! Glad you liked it. Yeah, go Rai!

**DesiredStorm: **That's okay! At least you let me know what you think of this fic! That's what counts, right? Sure, it's okay if you add me to your faves! checks out profile hey cool, you like Evanescence too? Wow:D! They rock! Hehe :) I'll review your stories too… :) Thanks for the great review!

**Hyped up girl and Cute Peridot: **Hello! Yup, here's the update! Thanks so much for the reviews!

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"Oh my gosh! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" cane a shriek from below. Raimundo quickly adjusted and sat up on his bed. He turned to face the door as his best friend, Kimiko, burst through his bed room door. 

"And what happened to the rule about knocking before entering?" he asked ironically.

Kimiko ignored his comment, obviously in a daze. **"I just can't believe it, Rai! He asked me! He asked me!"**

"Asked you… what?" Raimundo asked, really clueless of what was going on.

"He asked me to his school dance, of course!" she said quickly.

Raimundo rolled his eyes and faked a smile. "A dance?" he said insensitively. "Dances are boring."

"They're not," Kimiko argued. "They're fun! And can you believe, he asked me! Me, of all people!"

Raimundo rolled his eyes again. He just never understood why girls went "gaga" over guys they liked. _'It's just so extreme, their reactions when they like a guy. And when the guy asks them out, you wouldn't want to talk about it.' _He just never understood the way girls thought, even if he had a girl as his best friend.

"Okay, okay… his school?" Raimundo asked.

"Yeah… duh it's a school dance…" Kimiko said sarcastically, acting like he was really dense.

Raimundo bit his lip to keep his rage down. She was acting really insensitive, just because she liked a stupid guy. _'Sheesh, if this is how girls are like when they like someone, forget it!' _he thought angrily.

But Kimiko had forgotten her supposed sarcasm and was in another daydream. Her face was lit up, and her cheeks were a bright shade of pink. She looked really pretty and shy. It was just now that he noticed how pretty Kimiko was, and his anger slowly faded away. His heart gave a little twinge, composed of an unknown feeling and one of guilt. He felt guilty because he knew that Kimiko liked another guy, and felt sorry for himself that he was slowly losing his best friend to someone else.

The unknown feeling was something he had never felt before… strangely, his heart was pounding quickly and he could scarcely breathe. As Kimiko stared into space, he was staring at her, aware that his face was already a warm shade of red.

'_Come out of it, Raimundo! She's way out of your league! She likes someone else, remember?' _He reminded himself. He felt resentment resurfacing again. The 'almond' was constantly getting on his nerves now. He seemed so perfect; so innocent and sweet. He knew that deep down, it was just a façade and it was too bad that Kimiko felt something for Ben. _'What's with him anyway? He just met Kimiko and now he's asking her to a dance! This is becoming really fishy…' _As much as Raimundo wanted to get to the bottom of this, he couldn't because he had never met Ben.

"Hey, Kim? Can you do me a favor?"

Kimiko snapped out of he daze and said, "what kind of favor?"

"This may sound so sudden, but… can you let me meet this guy you're really crazy about?"

Kimiko's spirits lightened up. Finally he was starting to get her point, that he was finally meeting someone before judging this person. She felt that Raimundo's bad habit ever since had been that he judged people too quickly, and she was determined to correct him.

"Sure Rai! Why not… You two could become really good friends!" she exclaimed, and hugged Raimundo, not noticing the bright red patches on his cheeks.

* * *

Ben Ashmond trudged quietly on the sidewalk, rain dripping from his hood. The weather wasn't really bright and sunny that day. He wondered why Kimiko wanted to meet him today, with the heavy downpour. But he wasn't complaining. 

He sighed. He really felt guilty. There was something he didn't tell Kimiko, and he knew that she would be completely angry with him once he told her. But she didn't understand. He was doing this for a really good reason…

Finally he saw her shadow in the rain. She was with a friend of hers, a boy. At first he hesitated. _'Is he… Is he her boyfriend?' _He felt a sense of dread. But he thought it over. He couldn't be her boyfriend, because when he asked Kimiko to the dance, she immediately said yes. She couldn't have a boyfriend, unless she was cheating on him. But Kimiko wasn't the type to cheat anyone. He was relieved as he thought it over logically.

"Hey, Ben!" she called from the heavy downpour. "It's been raining cats and dogs all morning!" she said, beaming.

"Yeah! You bet!" he answered just as easily. He studied Kimiko's friend. He had sandy brown hair, dark eyebrows and eyes. "This is Raimundo, by the way. Rai, meet Ben." The guy's frown turned into a small smile. Ben couldn't tell if he was faking it or forcing it.

"Nice to meet you," he grunted, extending his hand.

"Nice to meet you too," Ben answered cheerfully. But he made a mental note that he had better watch out for this guy.

But he couldn't help asking. "Um, Kim, are you two…?"

Kimiko turned red. "In a relationship? No, we're not!" she said defensively.

Ben breathed a sigh of relief. "Just wanted you to meet a friend of mine." She said quickly. She flashed him a sweet smile.

"So, what do you plan to do in this rain?" he asked, grinning. _'Who knows, maybe I can get along really well with this guy,'_ he thought. He just didn't know that his thoughts just echoed Raimundo's.

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A/N: Okay, that's the end of this chapter… sorry it's really short! I'll update soon, I promise. Any comments, suggestions, violent reactions, or questions? Please leave a review! Thanks so much. 


	4. Chapter IV

**Chapter IV**

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A/N: Hello! I realize that I haven't been able to update for many months now… It's a real challenge… I'm gonna be stuck in hell next week… It's our periodical exams. **Freaks Out** Anyways… here goes chapter IV.

Disclaimers: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown.

Replies:

**Cute Peridot 816: **ey there! Wow… thanks for the very 'malalim' comment…! Thanks for the comments and God Bless on the exams:)

**DesiredStorm: **Wow! A fellow Evanescence fan… :) thanks for the comments! Can't tell you how much I appreciate them. Hmmm… Ben looks like Rai… oh yeah! Good Point! But Rai's cuter. Hahaha! Joke… sorry I kinda kept all of you on this update… exams coming up and it's all so hectic… -sigh…- oh well! Thanks for the great review:D

**Derry Babe: **Wow! Thanks! Yap! They both like each other… :) sorta. But Kim, I guess, still needs to work on it. Haha! Yup, go Rai! Please review this chapter! Hehehe! Thanks so much for the sincere review.

**Hyped up gurl: **Yup! I love Rai/Kim. My favorite character… hmmm… I guess Rai and Kim too!

**Catgurlfurreel: **hmm! You'll see:) Most probably… yes! Sure I'll add a kissing scene! With who? Hehe! Please review this chapter!

**TamerTerra: **Thanks for the suggestion! Yup, I'll try. Please review this chapter! Thanks again.

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Raimundo walked in complete silence as his best friend and Ben Ashmond strolled along the street. He sighed. How on earth was he supposed to socialize with someone he evidently didn't like? Well, his opinion of Ben Ashmond may have lightened up a **little **bit, but most of his biased attitude was still there.

He glanced quietly at Kimiko, who was having an energetic conversation with Ashmond. _'She seems serious about getting to know this guy,'_ Raimundo thought with disappointment. Still, he could find nothing wrong with the way this guy acted… yet he smelled something weird about this guy. He was doubtful of letting Kimiko go with him. He felt like a strict, old parent and he groaned. He didn't want to appear as a killjoy.

"Raimundo, what do you think?" Ben addressed him suddenly with his deep, manly voice.

"Um… sorry I wasn't quite listening… what were you suggesting?" Raimundo asked sheepishly, embarrassed that he failed to keep up with the conversation. Kimiko shot him a strange look, which somehow meant that he was humiliating her in front of her crush.

'_Well, guess what Kim,'_ Raimundo thought scornfully_, 'I sure don't approve of your crush just yet. I guess I have to wait for him to show his true colors.** No way** will he hurt Kimiko.'_ He vowed.

"We were just saying," Ben explained politely, "That we could go to a bar or something… you know, get a drink. That is, if you approve."

Raimundo frowned on the inside. Bars and clubs were only for people who did not know what to do in life, or for someone who wanted a drink. He didn't want Kimiko to come with him, of course.

Kimiko gave him a pleading look. "Come on, Rai, it will be so much fun. And Ben promised to take care of me. Come on, let's go, please? Just this once." Kimiko gave him the "puppy dog eye look".

Raimundo sighed. Who was he, a disgruntled, insecure parent who had a teenager, who wanted to go to a bar? Nevertheless…

"I guess…" Raimundo started. "…okay."

"Thanks, Rai! You're such a great sport." Kimiko said joyfully. She gave him a big smile, and deep inside Raimundo melted. He would do anything just to get that sweet smile from Kimiko.

Kimiko clasped Ben's arm and they strode into a bar already filled with so many people.

* * *

"Wow," Kimiko gasped. She had never been anywhere like that.

"Amazing, isn't it? For the first time, I mean." Ben said. "My uncle owns this place." He said, with a trace of modesty in his voice.

"It's great," Kimiko said. "What exactly do you do in here?" She glanced at Raimundo, who was looking around and eyeing everything with positive distinction.

"Well," Ben said shyly, "If you want… we can go someplace else after I buy you a drink… without Raimundo, perhaps? If you want a little privacy, that is." He said.

Kimiko hesitated for a second, giving what he said some thought. "Without Raimundo? But… what is he going to say when he finds out? He'll be really mad at me for ditching him. Plus, he'll think bad about you, too." Kimiko reasoned out.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," Ben pointed out, his acid green eyes flashing. "Don't you think he came with you in the first place just to spy on you and have a go on me if I hurt you or something?" He said suspiciously.

Kimiko hesitated again. She hadn't thought about that. Suddenly, she felt her temper rise. "You're right, Ben. He's been all so sensitive since I've gone to meet you." She agreed angrily.

"So what do you say? Come with me." Ben coaxed.

"Okay." Kimiko said and they excused themselves to Raimundo. Then quietly, they exited the small bar.

* * *

Raimundo narrowed his eyes at Kimiko and her companion suspiciously. Where on earth could they be going?

"Hey, dude, want a game of poker?" said a disheveled old man in tattered rags, who sat at a table nearby.

"No thank you." He said icily.

"Come on. You can do that while waiting for your friends." The old man croaked in a squeaky voice.

Raimundo sighed. "I don't gamble, mister. Find someone else, please." He said as politely as possible, remembering to control his temper.

The old man muttered something and turned away.

Raimundo breathed a sigh of relief. Now he could concentrate his efforts on Kimiko and Ben, when they came back.

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A/N: Whew! That's the end of Chapter IV! Sorry it's kind of short… I'll make up for it next time:) Please review! 


	5. Chapter V

**--Chapter V-- **

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A/N: Hi! Just wanna ask a question… Kimiko and Raimundo and all the other guys don't go to school, do they? I've never seen an episode of them going to school. Anyways, I think I'll put scenes of classrooms and stuff here. After all, I don't really think this fiction follows the Xiaolin Showdown TV show storylines, except of course, for the characters' personalities and stuff. Thanks for the reviews!

P.S. Haha! So many people hate Ben… but it's okay, I don't blame you! Haha… sorry for the wait!

Disclaimers: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown.

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Raimundo heaved a great sigh, and waited for a few minutes. Then he finally gave up and looked for the "lovebirds". They were nowhere to be found. _'I thought they wouldn't go too far! Where could they be?' _he thought anxiously as he was frantic and careful about Kimiko's safety. He wasn't sure of what Ben Ashmond was capable of yet, and he had better not hurt her.

"Have you seen a couple walk by? The girl has black hair and a red dress… the guy…--"

But he wasn't able to continue because most of the people in there were drunk or just didn't want to talk to him. Finally he was convinced that they weren't anywhere in the bar. _'How dare they ditch me… what was this guy possibly planning with Kimiko?' _He broke into a run, looking around blindly through the pouring rain.

'_When I find them… that guy is **more than dead.**' _

* * *

"Where are you taking me?" Kimiko giggled. Ben gave her a casual smile. _'He is SO cute!' _she thought, shivers rushing up her spine.

"You'll see, Kim," he reassured her, taking her hand. She looked up at him. He was like a dream come true—he was too perfect. Any girl would be happy with him. He was handsome, sweet, affectionate, and everything she wanted in a guy. He was too good to be true.

"Here we are, Kim." He took off his jacket and draped it around her, now that the rain had started to lull. "It's beautiful," she whispered, gazing at the nearly dark sky, now that a rainbow was glistening. _'Could there ever be a more romantic moment?' _she thought happily. Plus, now, his arm was encircling around her.

"Not as beautiful as you." He said, and leaned over to touch her face. Kimiko couldn't breathe. Was this how love really felt like? No wonder many people fell in love. And as he leaned over to kiss her, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the passionate moment.

* * *

Kimiko woke up. _'Was it all a dream?' _she asked herself.

She scrutinized her face in the mirror and touched her lips. _'It couldn't have been,' _she thought to herself happily. Her phone rang urgently and she picked it up.

"Hello?"

"_Hello, is that you, Kim?"_

Kimiko was glad to hear Ben's voice. "Yeah. Hi Ben!"

"_Hi," _he said in a distracted voice.

Kimiko smiled as she remembered the kiss. "That was a really nice moment with the rainbow yesterday."

"_What rainbow are you talking about?" _Ben asked, still in that distracted voice.

"Well… the one we saw yesterday." Kimiko reminded him, disappointed that he didn't seem to remember.

"_Oh yeah, that rainbow." _He laughed. _"Listen, Kim, um, can you meet me at this address in 30 minutes?" _He gave it to Kimiko and she jotted it down.

"Um, sure. Why?"

"_Um… it's important. I'll just meet you there… thanks so much. Bye, Kimiko."_

She sighed as she plunked downthe receiver. _'I wonder what he's going to ask from me…' _she thought. _'But he DID say that it was important. Oh well…' _She would just have to find out.

* * *

"Where are you going, Kim?" Raimundo asked quickly as he spotted Kimiko walk casually to the front door.

"Um, nowhere," She said, hoping that he wouldn't catch her. He was still sore from yesterday when they had ditched him. Kimiko spent a full 2 hours explaining to him what had happened in small details, as she intended to leave the other details out of her story. Raimundo, to her relief, had accepted her story but warned her about Ben Ashmond.

"What do you mean, nowhere?" He leaped off the sofa and shot her an intimidating look.

'_Geez! He's acting like he's my mother.' _She thought to herself, rolling her eyes. "Listen, I'm just going out. What's the problem? It's no big deal. I'll take care of myself. Okay?"

Raimundo still did not look convinced. "This is the last time, Kimiko."

She sighed. Now she was going to have to lie. "I'm gonna meet my friend. What's your problem?"

It was his turn to sigh. "I'm… I'm just worried, Kim. I don't want anything… bad to happen to you."

She shrugged and grabbed the occasional black jacket she usually matched with her clothes. It was raining cats and dogs outside. There was no way she wanted to get soaked in front of Ben.

"Better take an umbrella, it's raining cats and dogs out there." Raimundo reminded her, echoing her thoughts.

"Yeah, I know. I better go… see you later, Rai." She said and slammed the front door closed behind her.

* * *

Kimiko arrived at the place Ben told her to meet him. Ben still wasn't there. She had to wait for 15 minutes until he showed up.

"Hi Ben!" Kimiko called, her eyes lighting up.

"Kimiko," Ben said restlessly. He was looking as handsome as ever under the dark blue umbrella. A gust of wind suddenly blew through the young couple and Kimiko fell into Ben's arms accidentally.

"Sorry," she said, blushing as she let go of him.

Ben stared intently into her eyes and said, "Kimiko, I have to ask you something. I really, sincerely need to borrow a few bucks." His eyes left her gaze now. Kimiko was disappointed. She thought that he was going to ask her an important question, like if he could court her or something. But it looked like her imagination was running wild.

"Um, how much?" she asked. What could he be needing her money for?

"Around… 20 dollars?" He fidgeted with his jacket zipper, afraid that Kimiko would not say yes to his request. "I know this is pretty inconsiderate of me, 'cause I'm a guy," he said hurriedly. "But I need it for something… important. I promise, I'll pay you back, Kim."

She smiled, letting go of any doubts of him. It was just probably a one-time thing, anyway. "Okay." She smiled and pulled a twenty-dollar bill out of her pocket. Ben's frown turned into a grateful smile, and said, "You're the best, Kim."

But before she was able to speak, he silenced her. "Listen, Kim… I was just wondering… can I court you?"

* * *

Once the young teenager reached Master Fung's house, she was overcome with happiness and excitement. She kept reliving that happy, heart-stopping moment when she answered yes to his question, and they both kissed under the rain. It was all so romantic.

'_Maybe I was destined to be with Ben ever since, and I just didn't know it,' _she thought ecstatically as Omi opened the door to her.

"Kimiko! You are soaking wet." Omi said as she stepped in the house.

"I'm sorry, Omi, it was really raining outside." She replied.

"Better yet, Kimiko, you shouldn't go out in the rain as much as possible." Raimundo interrupted, coming towards his friends.

"Or even better yet, Raimundo," Kimiko retorted, "You shouldn't stick your nose into others' business whether they go out or not, because it's their choice." She sniffed. "And it happens to be my choice."

"Suit yourself," Raimundo shrugged and grabbed a glass of hot cocoa.

Kimiko rolled her eyes. Why did her best friend have to be like this? Sometimes she was just grateful to have him as her friend, but sometimes he was just a headache.

'_I have to face it,' _she thought as she marched up the stairs to her room. _'Raimundo is just prejudiced when I like other guys. Don't tell me he likes me more than he has to. 'Cause that would be a disaster.' _

* * *

Kimiko had another dream about Ben Ashmond, and needless to say that it was a pleasant dream. She had somehow managed to shove the fact that Ben had asked her for money yesterday. She woke up with a cheerful attitude.

Raimundo was suspicious when she came down to join them for breakfast. "Why are you suddenly so happy this morning while the rest of us are cranky?" he asked suspiciously.

"I don't know. Maybe you got out of the wrong side of bed." Kimiko joked lightly.

"By the way, are you still hanging around "You-know-who"?" Raimundo asked.

Kimiko's face flushed. "It's none of your business, really. Just because you're really prejudiced against him doesn't mean you can influence me to turn against him."

It was Raimundo's turn to go red. "I am not prejudiced," he declared. "There's just… something about him that makes me want to cringe." He grimaced. "And besides, I'm not supposed to like all your friends." He added.

No reply enunciated from Kimiko as she ate her pancakes silently.

A little later she phoned Sal and Jan to help her shop for her dress to the dance that Ben was inviting her to.

* * *

A/N: Chapter V done, Chapter VI coming up! Hope you like it… and please review. 


	6. Chapter VI

**--Chapter VI--**

* * *

Disclaimers: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown.

A/N: Hey, bet you're all mad at me because of this TOTALLY late update. Okay, so I have been REALLY busy at school. My school opens in June, and ends in March… so I really won't be able to update much for the next few months, only on weekends when I'm not busy. So you see, I don't really have the time. But I promise that when school ends again, I'll be updating frequently. So, once again, my apologies and I hope you'll continue reading the fic.

* * *

Ben Ashmond focused his emerald green eyes on his date for the evening. She had long, slim legs, a fantastic body and long golden blond hair to crown her scalp. But for Ben, the best features of the girl were her eyes, the color of sky blue.

"Hold me close, Ben…" She whispered. Ben held out an arm for her and twirled her around. There was nothing like spending the night with a beautiful date.

When they finished dancing, they headed out to the restaurant's balcony. "Lucy… listen… can you do something for me?"

"Of course, honey." Lucy leaned on the rail, looking intently at the city below them.

"Can we keep our relationship a secret? I mean, don't tell anyone at all. Okay?"

"Of course!" Lucy embraced him. "I love you, Ben."

"I love you too, Lucy. But I need to take you home, I'm really sleepy…" Ben yawned, and Lucy nodded in concern.

"Okay, let's go to my apartment first. You can spend the night there." She said coyly, touching his brown hair gently with her fingertips.

"Okay. Let's see." In 15 minutes, they arrived at Lucy's apartment.

"I have to go now." Ben announced, looking at his watch with urgency.

"I see. Then go, Ben, dear. I'll talk to you tomorrow." She told her boyfriend as Ben slammed the door shut behind him.

**

* * *

Later that night…**

A bright pink cell phone lay on the table, seemingly lifeless. But at that moment, it had sprung to life, blinking with a yellow radiance and vibrating upon the surface of the wooden table, waking the female teenager who was sleeping nearby.

She yawned and picked it up without looking at the caller, saying, "Hello…"

"Kimiko! Thank goodness you're still awake. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to call you tonight."

"Ben! Well, I was just about sleeping… What time is it?"

"It's already 11:00 P.M. You really sleep early, you know."

"Yeah. I should. Sometimes we have to rush. So why did you call?"

"_Well…" _he paused. _"I just wanted to check if you're alright. And I want to ask if you're also ready to come with me to the dance."_

"Of course, Ben… I already asked Sal and Jan to help me pick out the dress. You'll see! It's really beautiful."

"Okay. Good night! Sorry for disturbing your sleep."

"Good night… See you." She hung up and placed her phone back on the table, satisfied to have heard Ben's voice before she sank back into her deep slumber.

* * *

**The night of the dance…**

"Hey, that is not fair! How can that infidel of a horse-man move in that way?" Omi asked quizzically, glancing at his fellow Xiaolin companions to see if they knew why.

"'Cause, little buddy, this piece is called the knight. In chess, it moves like the letter "L". That's how it captures pieces." Raimundo explained carefully to the curious monk. Omi smiled toothily and nodded.

"So this knight—as you call it—moves like this?" Omi moved the miniature piece 3 spaces forward, and 1 space to the left, just as his opponent had done.

"You got it." Raimundo answered, and turned back to his portable laptop. From time to time that evening, Omi had been asking him for tips in chess. Clay was opposing Omi in his first game.

"By the way, where IS Kimiko? She's been missing the whole evening." Omi asked.

"I think she's upstairs." The Brazilian teen answered briskly. He went back to his chat room.

**Leodude99 signed in.**

**Leodude99: **Hey Raimundo! What's up, dude?

**Rai13210: **Nothing special. But I'm okay. What about you?

**Leodude99: **Hey, this is me you're talking about. Of course I'm okay.

**Rai13210: **Yeah, right.

**Leodude99: **Hah! You'll see. I'm no pathetic mortal. **I RULE SUPREME!**

**Rai13210: **Chill out. What do you want to tell me?

**Leodude99: **Has your brain gone cracked, dude?

**Rai13210: **No. It's just that when you're acting like a tough guy, it means that you found a girl you're interested in. So tell me, who is it?

**Leodude99: **Fine, fine. You got me. I'll start a conference, and I'll introduce her to you.

**Rai13210: **Okay.

**Leodude99 has invited you to a conference. **

**Rai13210 has accepted the invitation.**

**Spunkierbytheminute has accepted the invitation.**

**Leodude99: **Raimundo, this is Mandy. I met her at a party. And Mandy, this is Raimundo. He's been my good friend ever since we hit school.

**Rai13210: **Hi, Mandy. How are you?

**Spunkierbytheminute: **Oh, I'm fine. Leo, I thought you were going to pick me up tonight!

**Leodude99: **No, there's no date tonight, right?

**Spunkierbytheminute: **Don't tell me you FORGOT?

**Rai13210: **Um, sorry to butt in, but what are you talking about?

**Leodude99: **Oh! The dance!

**Spunkierbytheminute: **Oh, so, NOW he remembers. Sweetie, you promised me last week!

**Leodude99: **I'm sorry, Mandy. I'll pick you up right now. Hey, Rai, why don't you tag along? It's gonna be one night to remember.

**Rai13210: **Sure, if I'm not bothering you.

**Leodude99: **You rock, dude! See ya there. Better get dressed—it's a formal party, at the Starlight Hotel.

**Rai13210: **Got it. See you...

**Rai13210 signed out. **

**Leodude99 signed out.**

**Spunkierbytheminute signed out.**

* * *

Kimiko felt the breeze whip her hair as she sat beside her date. The window was wide open, and without any traffic, it was quite easy to travel along the streets. She smiled as she remembered how she sneaked out of the temple that night. It was not so easy, having had to pass Omi and Clay. Raimundo wasn't there, surprisingly. Omi had said that he was busy.

But nevertheless she met Ben and now they were heading to the Starlight Hotel.

"Oh, look, here were are." Ben said easily as he parked the car. He took Kimiko's arm and led her in the hotel lobby. It seemed like hundreds of students were in there, about Ben and Kimiko's age.

"Ben! You promised me the first dance, remember?" a whiny girl ran up to him and he flushed almost immediately. "Um. Yeah. By the way, Amy, this is Kimiko. Kim, this is my classmate, Amy."

"Oh, um, nice to meet you." Kimiko held out her hand politely and Amy didn't take it. "Who is she, Ben? A new girlfriend of yours?"

"Um…" Ben was turning red now, and he wouldn't meet Kimiko's eyes.

"Oh my gosh, did you see that? Leo Farrell and Mandy Wheeler? Are they actually going out?" Amy continued in her whiny voice, changing the topic fortunately for Ben. She marched towards the couple she was pointing at, and behind them was…

"Raimundo? What is he doing here?" Kimiko yelped. She practically dove out of sight.

Raimundo walked casually around, following Leo and Mandy, whom he just met a few minutes ago.

"Nice hotel," he commented. "Why aren't they going up yet?" he asked Leo.

"Dude, we'll all be going up in a few minutes. We came a bit early, that's all," he replied, straightening his tuxedo. Raimundo smirked. He and Leo were definitely not used to wearing tuxes. Mandy, who had blond hair and immensely heavy makeup, ended up looking 2 years older than she actually was. But she looked glamorous all the same, and Raimundo could see why Leo chose her.

A few minutes later, a short girl with fiery red hair and striking eyes came up to Leo and Mandy, demanding something. Raimundo moved closer to his friends to hear what she was saying. "You two are going out?" she asked in a pretty much annoying voice. It had a bossy quality to it, and Raimundo sensed that he would not like to get to know this girl.

"Yeah, we are," Leo answered for both him and Mandy. "Is that so wrong?"

The girl gave the both of them a cold, hard look. "Who are you?" she demanded from Raimundo, whom she just noticed at that exact moment.

Raimundo cocked an eyebrow at Leo, and answered, "I'm their friend. Lay off them, will you. It's not as if they're breaking a law." He said sarcastically.

"Whatever." She crossed her arms. "I'm Amy. See you around." She said, apparently wanting to get away, and when Raimundo didn't reply, she walked away huffily.

"Wow, nice manners she's got," Raimundo muttered.

"Oh, yeah. Amy Henderson acts like she's the boss 'cause her dad is an important director of our school." Leo rolled his eyes. "Don't mind her."

Raimundo nodded, and a waiter announced that they were finally allowed to head up the elevator.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter coming up… 


	7. Chapter VII

**--Chapter VII-- **

* * *

Disclaimers: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown.

* * *

One by one, the couples and people waiting in the hotel lobby were escorted up in the fancy elevator. While waiting for their turn, Raimundo, Leo and Mandy started a conversation.

"So… do you guys know anyone called Ben Almond? I mean… Ashmond." Raimundo asked.

"Know him? Sure I know him. He's in my class, that dude. Has a new girl every single week. Popular guy. Not a jock, though. I don't know what made him popular, but almost everyone knows him. Maybe that's because he broke so many hearts." Leo scoffed, showing his extreme dislike.

Mandy waited for Leo to finish before she said her part. "I know him. We dated for about 2 weeks last year, then I discovered that he had another girlfriend, and we broke up." She said coldly at the memory.

Raimundo wasn't expecting these kinds of replies from his friends, but they did confirm his worst fears for Kimiko. Like any best friend, he was totally concerned for Kimiko.

Without any warning, Amy Henderson walked by him and smiled, unlike her grouchy self a while ago.

"Hi! You're the one I met just a while ago, with Leo and Mandy," she smiled flirtingly.

"Hello." Raimundo said in an icy tone. "Are you here to annoy me this time?"

Amy felt struck by the question. "No, I'm not." She said as if it was the last thing she would have done. "I just wanted to say… hello. That's all." She sniffed. "Do you know my father, Frederick Henderson? He's the director of this school."

"Sorry, but I don't go to this school." He answered briskly.

Amy sniffed, her airs injured. Nevertheless, she continued to bother Raimundo. "So what school do you go to?"

"None of your business. I'm just here with my friends, like I told you."

"Fine, if you don't want to talk to me. As if I care." She turned up her nose at him, determined not to talk to him again. Raimundo was grateful to see her gone.

As soon as the students were all seated in the spacious room reserved for their dance, Raimundo started searching the crowd for Kimiko. _'She must be in here someplace… with Ashmond, no doubt…' _he thought.

Then he spotted Ben walking casually beside two girls, possibly from his school. Kimiko wasn't one of them. Perhaps she was somewhere else.

But then a reckless idea came to Raimundo. What if he confronted Ben face to face, right here, right now? It would probably put an end to their relationship. Then he wouldn't have to worry about Kimiko going out with him anymore.

A small voice in his brain spoke at that very moment, cautioning him. _'No, Raimundo, you will not like what would happen after this… Kimiko will never speak to you again! Do you want that?' _

But before he could reply to this, another voice spoke in gruff tones. **_'You're doing the right thing. You just need to get that Ashmond off your back once and for all! Then you won't have to worry about a thing. It's easy enough, right?'_**

'_He'd just regret it!' _

'_**No he won't!'**_

Ben was coming closer… and now was the time to decide.

"What are you planning with Kimiko?"

The two girls shrunk away at his voice. But Ben's expression remained unchanged. "Raimundo. We meet again… And I'm not planning anything with her, don't worry." He said, looking at Raimundo directly in the eye. "Excuse me ladies, I think we need a little privacy." And with that, he stalked away to the dark part of the room. Raimundo followed him.

"I don't trust you, Ashmond. You better tell me right now or you'll regret it."

"I already told you, I'm not planning anything with her. Is it a crime to make a girl fall in love with you?" he sneered, his face turning ghastly. "Tell you what, Raimundo. Let's strike a deal. We will both do anything in our power to win her heart. And once that happens… the one who loses will never bother Kimiko again." Ben paused for a dramatic effect. "And the loser gets out of town. Deal?" Ben held out his hand.

Raimundo hesitated. This seemed almost impossible to win, but he had to try. He had to try his best, for goodness' sake. He couldn't lose Kimiko to another guy without a fight. "Deal." He gripped Ben's hand for a short while.

Ben smiled contentedly and smirked. It was the foulest smirk that Raimundo had ever seen in his life. Though it didn't mean defeat. There was still hope. "See you around, Raimundo." Ben called, and headed back to the party.

* * *

"What's troubling you, dude? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"Nothing, I'm alright. Thanks Leo." Raimundo answered. He was still thinking about the challenge now facing him.

"Alright, then. Mandy wants to dance… see you later." Leo left his champagne glass on the table and followed his date, leaving Raimundo to his thoughts.

"Hi, Raimundo."

It was Kimiko, looking quite radiant and elegant in her new clothes. With a little smile, she sat beside him.

"Hi, Kim. I'm sorry if I've been so spaced out this week." He muttered.

"That's okay. I just came by to say hello. You look a little lonely here." She commented. She took a sip from her glass.

Raimundo managed a small smile. "Ben's not with you?" he asked.

"Well, no, he was asked to dance by one of his classmates." She gestured to where her date was, dancing happily with his arms wrapped around a skinny girl. Raimundo shot a glare in his direction.

"Okay then. So what do you want to do?"

"Talk to you, I guess. It's been a really long time since we had time to chat. I've been spending a lot of time with Ben, but not with my best friend."

Touched by this speech, Raimundo felt that he had a sparkle of hope remaining. **_'Come on, you big loser, tell her what you feel!' _**the voice shouted in his brain. But he decided against it. Now wasn't the time. "Okay then… do you want to dance?" he asked, a little cheerfully.

Kimiko smiled. "I'd love to."

* * *

Kimiko never remembered a time where she felt more special. Sure, she was dancing with her best friend—but for once, she felt happy and so cheerful around him. He laughed and joked around with her like the old times, before she met Ben.

But there was that shining barrier between them—the barrier of friendship. One they must never cross over. Friendship was fun while it lasted, but relationship was quite a different thing. For one, it was commitment, time, energy, love and trust all at the same time. Friendship was much less complicated. All you needed was for them to be by your side.

Kimiko realized all of this as she was dancing with Raimundo. And it was a dance that she would never forget.

"That was my foot, Kim." Raimundo said, trying to keep a look of pain off his face. But he smiled all the same.

"I'm so sorry, Rai! I'm not sure if I remember how to dance anymore."

"Well, if that's the case… I guess I'll have to teach you." He said, his eyes twinkling.

'_Raimundo has wonderful eyes,' _she thought. _'Why haven't I noticed it before?'_

'**_Probably because you never really looked,' _**her mind answered. And she realized that it was right. She never really took notice of Raimundo, especially in looks. Maybe there was a lot more about him that she didn't know. Now was the time to discover it.

Thankfully she didn't trip over him again. "See, you know how to dance." Raimundo whispered in her ear. She giggled, flattered at his compliment. When the song ended, she felt disappointed. But she tried not to show it. "That was fun," she said. "Hope we try that out again sometime." She managed a smile.

"Hopefully by then you won't step on my foot." He joked sarcastically, and they both laughed.

"Kim! It's time to go." Ben called, looking impatient.

"I've got to go. Meet you back at the Xiaolin Temple." She didn't know what made her do it, but she kissed him hastily on the cheek. She didn't notice that Raimundo had turned quite red.

"See you," he said, the words still hanging from his mouth as Kimiko left him. The spot where Kimiko had kissed him was still burning brightly.

* * *

A/N: I guess that's it for Chapter 7, hope I can update more frequently next time… :) Please review! 


	8. Chapter VIII

**--Chapter VIII-- **

* * *

A/N: I do nothing but apologize these days… apologize for something I've said, or said I would do, but didn't. Well, I'm sorry I really have to apologize for not updating AT ALL. Seriously! How long has it been since I last logged in to Oh well… guess I'd better start with all of my stories… Including this one.

* * *

"Kimiko! Phone!"

"Wait a sec! Just getting changed." Kimiko shouted back.

When she was done, she took the phone from an overexcited Omi, who was eagerly bringing his chess set around with him. Raimundo and Clay were going to teach him again.

Raimundo watched Kimiko from the corner of his eye. He had no intentions of snooping, however he already knew that it was Ashmond. Probably snaking around, that guy, asking Kimiko out for a date.

"Okay. I'll be right there." Kimiko beamed and put the phone down. Raimundo stood up. Now was the time to strike.

"So where are you going, Kimiko?" he asked nonchalantly, pretending that he didn't hear a thing of her conversation with Ashmond.

"Rai. Grow up. I'm not a baby that you have a look out for, you know. I'm pretty much accustomed to taking care of myself." Kimiko answered sarcastically. Her expression changed to a playful one.

Kimiko was making an effort to be extra nice to him these days. He wondered why. Maybe she had realized that he had feelings, too?

"Just joking. I'm going out with Ben." Kimiko said. After applying a bit of pink blush and dabbing on some lip gloss, she was ready to go.

"Hey, Kim, just promise me you'll take care of yourself." Raimundo said suddenly.

"Ben's a great guy. He'll make sure of that, don't worry."

"I know, but just be on the look out. Okay? I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Raimundo was sounding like a broken record, honestly. Kimiko shrugged. "No big deal, I can take care of myself." She bent down and brushed her lips gently against Raimundo's cheek. He turned red again, like she had hadn't done that before. "See you later." She said casually, and walked out of the door.

* * *

Later on, Omi and Clay were in the other room with Master Fung, who was teaching the both of them how to play Chinese chess. Raimundo saw this as an opportunity to surprise Kimiko when she got home. What was better than giving her something when she didn't expect it? It was the perfect idea. He couldn't stop her from going on dates with Ashmond, but the least he could do was to do something for her.

He supposed that girls liked those stuff. The surprises, gifts, candy, chocolate that boyfriends usually gave their girlfriends on days like Valentine's. Perhaps Kimiko would appreciate them too.

He stopped for a moment before turning his key in the ignition of the car that Leo lent him. _'So what DO I get her… Hmmm…' _He thought silently, waiting for a brilliant idea to come to him.

And at last it came. Without wasting another moment, he drove off.

* * *

"Thanks for the lunch date, Ben." Kimiko said, reaching over to kiss Ben on the cheek. It was really considerate of him to bring her to an expensive restaurant, just for a small date. He was still the perfect guy… the perfect guy any girl would have wanted to date.

"It's no problem, Kimiko. Anytime." He said shyly, flashing her a megawatt smile. He started driving her back home when he suddenly stopped the car. Kimiko looked out the window to see what was distracting him.

It was a blond-haired girl with bright blue eyes, who looked… angry.

"Do you know her, Ben?" Kimiko asked worriedly.

"As a matter of fact, I do. She's my… classmate." He said slowly. "Excuse me for a moment, I have to talk to her." He said, getting out of the car. Without another word, the blond haired girl yanked him by the arm and pulled him to the nearby building so that they could talk in private.

Kimiko slumped down in her seat. She knew it was bad enough to eavesdrop, probably their meeting was private. But she could hear the girl's impertinent voice shouting at him. Had Ben done something wrong?

Kimiko suddenly had a thought. Wait—If she was Ben's classmate, why didn't she see her at the dance? She would have come over and said hello to Ben. But Kimiko had never seen that girl in her life. What could she be doing here, shouting at Ben?

Then a horrible thought occurred to Kimiko. What if Ben was cheating on her? It dawned on her. It could… possibly… make sense. The girl could be mad because she saw him with Kimiko.

Then Kimiko chided herself. Ben would never do that—he was PERFECT. Could anyone ask for a better guy? Maybe she was just being insecure.

Then Raimundo's words came back to her. _"Hey, Kim, just promise me you'll take care of yourself." _Could he possibly mean that she needed to be careful around Ben?

Her thoughts were conflicting. Which could possibly be the right answer? She bent over the car seat and listened in to Ben and the other girl's conversation.

* * *

Raimundo came back to the Xiaolin Temple, exhausted. He placed the wrapped object that he went out to buy in Kimiko's room. Before he could forget, he placed the card so she could track from whom it came from.

Everything was perfect.

* * *

"**How _could_ you, Ben? **I trusted you… and you betrayed me. Who is that girl?" Lucy demanded. Ben had never seen her this furious before. Her face was practically red to her roots.

'_Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why didn't I remember that Lucy worked here… I could have avoided it, but no! This must be fate. Punishment.' _Ben cursed himself silently. "Lucy, that was no one. She was there because she's my classmate. Okay? Nothing to be so worried about." He assured her lamely.

"You didn't answer my question. WHO IS SHE AND WHAT IS HER RELATIONSHIP TO YOU?" Veins were bulging on one side of her face, due to her fury and rage.

"Her name's Kimiko. Okay? You can ask her. And besides, she's only a friend. Nothing more. Would I dare betray you, Lucy? I love you. Remember?"

She crossed her arms. "How sure am I that you're not cheating on me? Give me proof." She demanded.

'_Possessive bitch,' _Ben swore to himself. She was being too jealous. "You know what, forget it! Quit our relationship. You're on your own, you jealous bitch." He spat.

Her look changed to one that was already about to cry. She looked shaken. "Surely… Ben… you don't mean that?"

"Look! I was already trying to explain to you. And you don't trust me! Where is love without trust?" he shouted.

Her lower lip quivered. What a weak, gullible girl. "But Ben! We cannot break up. I love you too much. I'm so, so sorry. I won't be jealous again, I promise." She said, giving him a hug before broke down into tears.

"I'll talk to you later." He said icily. Then he turned on his heel to leave. Lucy was still there, her mascara smeared and her makeup ruined with her tears. She ran down the street, without another word.

Ben sauntered back to the car, where Kimiko was waiting. Her face was contorted in an indescribable expression. "Hey, Kim. I'm sorry about that." Ben apologized. He wondered if she overheard the whole thing.

"It's okay." She said, unusually quiet. Ben took the wheel and drove her back to the Xiaolin Temple. "Are you sure you're okay, Kim?" he said.

"I'm okay. Don't worry about me." She said quietly. "Bye, Ben."

She slipped back in the temple. Ben fumed, and cursed himself. What an idiot he was, not knowing how to handle girls.

* * *

Kimiko climbed up the stairs to her room, pondering over what she had heard from their conversation. She was obviously Ben's girlfriend… his other girlfriend. He was cheating on her. How could she have been so stupid?

She had to control herself from yelling at him. He had already gotten enough of that from that girl—what was her name? Oh yes, Lucy.

How could he betray Kimiko's trust? Wasn't their relationship enough, so he had to have another one? She felt so lonely and miserable.

She opened the lock to her bedroom, ready to collapse on her bed, but she saw a small package wrapped in pink foil and a ribbon. She eyed it curiously, wondering who had sent it.

She checked the card, and it brought a smile to her face. Raimundo was so thoughtful. Who knew he could be this sweet? She opened the gift, careful not to tear the pink foil too much. And she brought out a notebook with a beautiful design, along with a silver pen.

She smiled. Raimundo knew how to cheer her up, even with small gifts. She must remember to thank him later.

* * *

Raimundo checked his watch when he heard the door to Kimiko's bedroom open and close. He had been waiting for her, timing when she would possibly unwrap the gift. He hoped that she would like it—he personally chose the design himself.

Then he wondered what had gone on in her date. He clenched his fist, wanting to connect it with Ben's ugly face. Thinking of how good her date with Ben had been made Raimundo's anger rise.

Then a timid knock came on his door. Thinking that this was probably Omi or someone else, he opened it. Before he knew it, he was enveloped in a hug. "Kim! Watch it, you might strangle me." He joked, but hugged her back.

"Oh, Raimundo. Thanks for the gift… I really like it." She kissed him swiftly on the cheek. "Now I have something to tell you." She said.

Raimundo invited her to sit on his bed, and he sat across her, on his chair. He wondered what she had to tell him all so suddenly.

* * *

A/N: Now this is where chapter 8 ends, sorry for the cliffie! Hope to continue soon… 


	9. Chapter IX

**--Chapter IX-- **

* * *

Disclaimers: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown.

A/N: Yes, the cliffie's continuation is finally here… bwahahaha! Sorry for the wait.

* * *

Kimiko's mind was racing. She meant to tell Raimundo all about what she heard from Ben and Lucy's conversation earlier. She would have to admit that Raimundo was right—He did have a right to be suspicious of him. How wrong she was, to trust someone she barely knew…

"Don't tell me. It's about Ashmond, isn't it?" Raimundo said, straight to the point.

Kimiko hesitated a few moments before replying. "Yes, it is. Oh, Rai, I don't know what to do."

"Tell me what happened." He said calmly.

Kimiko began her story, telling him about what happened in the car after their lunch date. She lamented on how she found the seemingly perfect guy, how she noticed the blond haired girl who was obviously angry, how Ben lied to her and called the blonde his "classmate", how he left her alone to explain to the girl (whom he called Lucy), and how she was able to listen in to their conversation. When Ben finally came in the car, she had learned everything she needed to know.

Kimiko felt strange, like she was pouring out her whole soul to Raimundo. It wasn't the first time she'd done it, anyhow. As her sole best friend, Raimundo was always ready to listen to her, comfort her and give her advice about everything. But now was different from the other times. She thought she was ready to open her heart—ready to love—but everything was falling to bits in front of her eyes.

It was a feeling of intense pain, like a mirror shattering into a million pieces; like a piece of herself being torn apart.

Now she was no longer a stranger to heartbreak.

Raimundo listened as calmly as he could, trying to compose himself and listen patiently to his friend's sorry tale. How he wished he had been there as Kimiko and Ben were talking—he could have easily pummeled the guy to smithereens. But something told him violence wasn't the answer.

If he wanted to win Kimiko's heart, he had to be patient. He had to let her realize that it was _he _whom she really loved, not Ben. And to do that, he had to show her his love. The rest was up to her. If she didn't love him… well, Raimundo didn't want to think about that.

As he waited for Kimiko to finish her story, he took a deep breath. This was it. This was the time chosen for him to have a heart-to-heart talk with her. Oh, how hard this was going to be—he had no time to figure that out.

Kimiko breathed easily after relating her whole story, and waited for Raimundo's reaction. He was still sitting quietly, and Kimiko could tell that he was thinking deeply. She sighed and let her hair loose from its ponytail, flowing gracefully down her back.

Finally Raimundo turned his attention to her. "Kim… do you think you love the guy?"

"Ben?" Kimiko was struck by the question. "I'm not that sure… I mean… he cheated on me."

"Yes he did, but do you love him?"

"How would I know if I did?"

Raimundo sighed. "You love him if you don't know the reason why you love him… you just do. Whenever you see him, your heart beats like crazy… Things like that. Geez, girls know this better than I do."

"Oh…" Kimiko said. She paused for a while to think and ponder on her feelings, and to reminisce her past with Ben. Thought waves rushed through her head like unstoppable torrents. The memories came back to haunt her, and she didn't refuse them. They just kept moving through her brain like a slideshow of pictures. _Did she truly love him? How did she fall in love, in the first place? _Kimiko searched the endless drawers in her memories, searching for a love that seemed inexistent.

Had she ever been in love? Did she know what love was? Had she felt it when she was with Ben? No… she couldn't have. She didn't even have a personal definition for love. She didn't remember what it felt like.

Strange.

"…Hey Kim, are you still there?" Raimundo's voice brought her back to reality.

"Yeah. I'm still here… I've just been thinking. Listen… have you ever been in love?"

Raimundo stopped himself from blurting things out. Instead, he said, "That's not a question that I would have wanted you to ask right now, Kim… let's focus on you. Have you ever been in love?"

"Ye--… no. I don't know."

"What sort of answer is that?"

"Look, Raimundo. I just don't know what to say. Sure, I felt sparks and everything while I was with Ben, but how do I know that it's not just some childish fantasy of being with this super cute guy? And now that he betrayed me, I don't know what to feel!" Kimiko blurted out desperately. Tears began slowly coursing their way down her cheeks.

Raimundo didn't mean to see her cry like this. He knew that it was out of frustration. She was being pushed to remember what had happened between her and Ben. That was painful enough. Raimundo knew then that he really had feelings for Kim; he felt her pain.

"I'm sorry, Kim. Let's talk about this some other time. I'm not forcing you to relive your memories… They hurt, I know. For now, I think you should have a rest. Come on… I'll get you some pizza, if that will cheer you up."

Kimiko sighed. "Thanks, Rai. I'd appreciate that." Without another word, she flopped on his bed. Raimundo smiled to himself. His best friend, indeed, was tired.

* * *

When Raimundo came back, Kimiko had changed her clothes to a white tank top and some comfy shorts. She was perched on his bed, watching TV. When he came into the room, she looked up. "Hey, Rai. You don't mind if I crash here for a few seconds, don't you?"

"I don't mind. Go ahead." Raimundo smiled. She smiled back, her glance shifting to the pizza he was carrying.

"At last. Something edible that I can eat." She took a slice and bit into it, savoring the taste in her mouth.

"Hey, don't finish all the slices. Save some for me." Raimundo teased, sitting beside her.

She nodded playfully. The usually glossy lips of Kimiko were covered in cheese and tomato sauce. He found himself staring at her for no reason. Electric sparks ignited in his body. He wanted to kiss her—badly.

"Hey Rai? Are you okay? You look… strange," Kimiko said, finishing up her slice of pizza and cleaning her mouth in the bathroom. She applied a small amount of lip gloss.

"I'm okay, don't worry." Raimundo managed a small smile. Then she came back and turned off the TV. She sat on the bed across him, studying his eyes with a twinkling interest.

_Was this the right opportunity? Can I kiss her? _Raimundo thought uneasily. Would she be surprised if he did what he was thinking?

Instinct overpowered his logical thoughts. In another second, his lips were heavily glued onto Kimiko's, kissing her uncontrollably, like a man let loose from his cage.

He felt his body moving like he'd never seen it before—in an instant, he was on top of Kimiko, kissing her like there was no end. And strangely enough, she was kissing him back. The electricity was coursing through both of their bodies, like they were an endless circuit.

_This is what it feels like to be in love, _Raimundo thought rashly as his hands enclosed around Kimiko's slender neck, pulling her closer to him. Her body responded in tune to his. They were meant to be together… This was real… Raimundo started convincing himself.

Then after several minutes, they pulled apart, gasping for breath. They had been under the control of some sort of magnetism that attracted the both of them together. Was this possible?

Kimiko was already thinking, thoughts racing into her head like wildfire. What had she just done? She had kissed her own best friend—_her best friend_—like there was no end. Was this the love she was looking for? The one she was searching for, but couldn't find?

Both were speechless, unmindful of what the other was thinking. They were enveloped into their own thoughts when Kimiko's cell phone rang.

The ringing snapped them out of their trances. Kimiko bent to pick it up, seeing that the caller was Ben, she looked over at Raimundo, forgetting what had just transpired between them.

"Pick it up, Kim. Put it on loudspeaker," he said finally.

She did as she was told. She just hoped it was a good decision.

_"Finally! Kim! I found it so hard to reach you… Where have you been? I was calling you for hours."_ Ben's voice rang through the room. He continued on, not waiting for Kimiko's response.

_"Wait—before you hang up or anything, I want to explain what happened a while ago. Like I said, she was a classmate of mine. She was yelling at me because I did something wrong in our project. She's an honor student, you see—and when she found out I've been spending the time with you, she thought I couldn't focus on the project. You know how love can drive a person mad."_ He laughed uneasily. _"So… Kim? Are you still there? Did you hear what I just said?"_

Kimiko had a mind to hang up the phone at that very instant. What a horrible liar he was. What did he think she was—an idiot? She knew it wasn't true. "Ben, shut up. I never want to talk to you again." She told him, and hung up the phone. Kimiko sighed and buried her face in Raimundo's pillow, taking in his scent. "I don't care what he says anymore. From now on… it's goodbye, Ben." She declared.

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

A/N: Please review:D thanks. All comments are greatly appreciated. 


	10. Chapter X

**--Chapter X-- **

* * *

Disclaimers: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown, and sadly, never will.

A/N: Sorry if I don't reply to all your reviews, but I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed. Your comments, whether good or bad, mean a whole lot. And to those who are reading my story, but are not reviewing… I'd like to know what you think of my story. Don't worry, I won't bite you if you criticize it. Thank you so much! Here's the next installment.

* * *

Raimundo still couldn't believe it. He was able to kiss Kimiko! And that was one step. A big step for the both of them, but the question still remained… did the kiss matter to her?

He kept these insecurities at the back of his mind. Now wasn't the time for him to think about them. After all, Kimiko was suffering a major break-up with Ashmond. Raimundo felt like rejoicing. They hadn't officially broken up, but sooner or later Kimiko was going to announce that to Ashmond.

_Beat that, Almond! _Raimundo found himself thinking.

"Rai… I'm going to Ben's house. I have to tell him that I'm going to stop seeing him—that I've been blinded by his deceit. How could he? I thought he was the perfect guy, but he just turns out to be some sort of jerk." Kimiko said, zapping Raimundo back to his senses.

Raimundo wanted to reply that Ben Ashmond is and forever will be a jerk, but he restrained himself. "Okay, Kim. I know this is a big decision for you."

"Yeah… You know, Rai… you're right. He is a jerk. I should have believed you in the first place."

Raimundo smirked, deep inside. He was waiting for her to admit that. "Maybe you should have."

"Yeah… But I was too blind to listen to my own best friend's advice. That was pretty cruel of me." Kimiko said, regret filling her eyes.

"Don't worry about it. It's okay." Raimundo consoled her, and gave her a brief hug. They stopped talking for a while, and Kimiko spent time resting her head against Raimundo's shoulder.

"I have to go." Kimiko stood up suddenly, lifting her head from his shoulder and standing up, smoothing her clothes.

Raimundo felt the temptation to say that she shouldn't leave, but he fought the urge. "Where are you going?"

"To settle things with Ben. I'll be back soon. Don't wait up for me." She grabbed a jacket, since it was cold out.

Raimundo watched her leave wordlessly. When the door closed behind her, he wondered if he really got through to her or did he just imagine it.

* * *

The doorbell sounded, a little too loudly. Ben Ashmond stopped pacing and stood still. Who could that be, at this late hour? He checked his watch. It was almost time for dinner, and his parents weren't home yet. The caller was probably some visitor for his parents or someone who wanted to see him.

He opened the door, and tried to push the look of shock off his face. It was Kimiko! And here he was thinking that she would never speak to him again. A thousand thoughts jumped into his mind at once, and he tried to consider the reasons why she was here in the first place. Obviously she wanted to talk, that was sure.

"Kimiko," he breathed, thinking himself lucky to pronounce her name again. He never thought how much he would miss saying her name out loud, but just this once, he appreciated it. He almost felt like a new man… almost.

"Ben. We need to talk." She said curtly, and he let her in. "Look. Our relationship… It can't go any further. You're seeing another girl behind my back… and it just won't work. I know it." Kimiko started. Her eyes were red, probably from crying.

The redness of her eyes struck him. Sure, he'd seen girls crying in front of him before; but he never knew it would affect him this much. Maybe he did care for Kimiko. More than he could have imagined.

"I know you're disappointed, Kimiko. But I…" he trailed away, thinking if he should just tell the truth or make up another story. Another voice came in his head, saying, **_"Give her the truth. Can't you see she's had enough of your lies? Lying in this kind of situation will bring you nothing but trouble. Tell her the truth already!"_**

Another voice broke in. _"Now this is not exactly telling the truth, but morphing the story and shaping the facts a bit won't hurt. I mean, it's saved you lots of times in the past. Go on! You might still have a shot. She could still believe you."_

Ben pondered on the two voices in his head, and decided to go for the truth for once. "… I thought I would just tell you the truth. It's too late now, I guess." He hung his head in shame. "Lucy is a charming girl. She's a cheerleader at my school, and I had the hugest crush on her. A few months ago, the crush faded. Then I met you." He paused for effect.

"I never thought I would fall in love with someone like you, Kimiko. And that's not a lie. I never thought I would find someone who could understand me for the little things that I do."

Kimiko's face was expressionless. He pushed on further. "The truth is… I love you, Kimiko. Will you give me a second chance?" he begged, kneeling down in front of her. He clasped her hand in his, and his downcast eyes looked briefly into Kimiko's.

"No, Ben. After hearing this speech of yours, I feel so sick. How could you still flatter me like this? How could you say you love me, yet you don't? You ask me to give you a second chance. How can I, when you don't love me at all?"

"That's not true, Kimiko! I swear—"

"Oh, believe me, Ben, it's true. It's the truest thing I've ever heard from you. I saw it in your eyes. There's no mistaking that."

"Kimiko, please!" He grabbed onto her coat. "I love you. Don't leave me. Please…" He had tears in his eyes now. It made no sense to him. He didn't care before. Certainly he could just let her walk away. But what was making him beg now? It had to be love. He loved her.

"Get off me. I can't do this." Kimiko wiped the tears from her eyes and walked through the front door. This time he didn't stop her, too numb from the rejection. She closed the door.

Ben gave himself away to the hurt. He had never experienced this with any girl except for Kimiko—the one who really did touch his heart. As he laid his head on the pillow that night, he thought and wondered why the first time he told a girl the truth, she just didn't believe him.

* * *

Before returning to the Xiaolin Temple, Kimiko thought it best to stop by somewhere. She didn't feel like going home just yet. On the way, she saw the bar that she and Ben had been in. The one he said his uncle owned. The memories it brought back to her.

She shook her head, thinking that it was no use to remember those times. They were over now. She made her decision, and she was not going to turn her back on it.

As of now, she needed a place to think, to express her mind freely. Nothing cheered her up better than a hot cup of cocoa. She knew where to go.

* * *

Raimundo knew there was no other choice but to wait until she returned. That was bound to be soon. He couldn't help wondering what she told Ben, and if they were really over. He guessed that would have to wait. There were more pressing issues at hand, such as the way he felt for Kimiko, and if they still had hope sometime in the future.

He leaned against the bedpost, listening to rock music. It helped him think clearly.

Slowly, he asked himself the questions he knew had to be answered sooner or later.

_What is going to happen between Kimiko and me? _He knew well enough that their history as friends was changed forever. The kiss had been the climax. They weren't just friends anymore. And if he hung around her more, everything between them was going to change.

_Do we have a hope for the future? If we did have a relationship, would it survive? Or would it fall apart like her relationship with Ashmond? _They had to have hope. Hope was what kept him alive through struggles. He knew he could love her, not like the "love" Ashmond tried to give her.

More questions came to his mind, and they kept coming till his head started throbbing from thinking too much. _Kimiko, where are you? _Was the last thought on his mind before sleep took over him.

* * *

The café was just at the edge of the street, and passers-by didn't bother coming in. It wasn't a shabby place, but Kimiko could tell that the owner certainly wasn't rich.

She stepped in inconspicuously, and no one noticed her entrance. She walked to the counter and ordered a hot cocoa for herself. Then she sat at the end of the café, waiting for her order.

_It's over between Ben and I. I just hope that I made the right decision. Raimundo was right… it was a hard decision for me… but I knew I had to do it. _She tried to convince herself that what she did was right. Everything she thought of pointed to it.

Ben had cheated on her. For all she knew, he didn't even love Lucy, or whatever her name was. She had done the right thing.

_I made the right choice. _It kept repeating in her mind, swirling and swirling, making her vision blurry. She was tired. She needed rest.

"Miss? Your hot cocoa." A voice interrupted her thoughts. Her vision snapped back clearly, and the impatient waiter was putting a cup right in front of her.

"Thanks." She took a sip, and snapped out of her reverie. Now wasn't the time to think about all of this. It could wait until tomorrow.

* * *

_To be continued…_

* * *

A/N: So I guess that's it for Chapter 10. Stay tuned for Chapter 11… Please review:) 


	11. Chapter XI

**--Chapter XI-- **

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Disclaimers: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown.

A/N: Yup, here's the update! Please R&R :D Thanks for the reviews, by the way! And for those of you who were waiting for the past chapters… I'm really, really sorry for the wait. Anyway. Tried to make this chapter as quickly as possible. Enjoy…

* * *

The alarm clock beeped. Eleven-thirty P.M. The Xiaolin Temple was quite silent, and the occupants of this certain area were all asleep, except for Raimundo.

And this certain Brazilian was still thinking… thinking about Kimiko. Things were going so fast. Raimundo felt like he was lucky to keep his cool and control over certain situations. Some of these situations, however; he couldn't change no matter how hard he tried. Just like Kimiko going over to Ben's house.

Okay, he was being paranoid. He couldn't help thinking that, maybe, just maybe… Kimiko and Ben made up, and before Raimundo knew it, they would be dating again. And then he would lose his deal with Ben, and to quote Ben: "the loser gets out of town."

That would be an awful situation. But what Raimundo really, really hated the most was that he couldn't do anything to stop it. Even if he tried, Kimiko would still be going over to explain things to Ben, because she was that type of girl. What she did was justifiable in all means.

So why did he feel so… insecure? Paranoid, even? He knew that he should be protective of Kimiko, but he never went this far.

_Where on earth is she? She was supposed to come home hours ago. _He thought. And all the more, he was getting insecure. All his thoughts were pointing out to the main point: that he would never win Kimiko's heart.

_No! This can't happen! She can't possibly make up with Ashmond, not when he cheated on her! _

**_But then why isn't she home by now? She would have told you everything about it. She would come home, rushing straight to you so that she could cry on your shoulder. So then… why isn't she back home where she should be? Unless… she met someone else. Or… maybe she's just not interested in you. _**Another voice whispered in his mind, making him think otherwise.

He hated doubt. He wanted to know where on earth she was, and he wanted to know that **now.** He was getting frustrated, confused and paranoid. If he wasn't careful, he would go ballistic.

"I'm sorry, Kimiko, but I have to do this." He said aloud, just thinking of what he was going to do next. He headed out of his room, and went straight for Kimiko's.

* * *

Ben thought it best to call her up now. Maybe he'd find some way to resolve their whole break-up and start over.

_Who knew that one day, even I would be caught dead doing this. Calling up a girl in the middle of the night, telling her that I'm sorry for our whole break-up. _He thought, a part of him being sarcastic. He just didn't do things like this. Never in his whole life did he have to say sorry to a girl.

The truth was, he never took them seriously. He took them all for granted… even Kimiko, and most especially Lucy. Now he found that a girl had broken through his defenses… And this same girl had seen his playboy side.

And the fact that he had just ruined their relationship while he was starting to believe that he loved her… well, he knew he'd made a huge mistake.

The line started ringing, bringing him back from his thoughts. _"Hey, this is Kimiko. Sorry, I'm not here at the moment. Leave your message after the beep." **Beep. **_

"Listen… Kimiko. It's Ben. I know I haven't been the best boyfriend to you, but apologizing is worth the try. I mean, I just can't let you slip away from me without making an effort, right? I want to prove to you that I really, really love you. I mean it, Kim. You're not just some girl to me. You're the one. I know this sounds stupid on the phone, but… Kim, I want us to get back to what we were before. Before I made this huge mistake. And let me tell you, Kim… there's nothing more I regret in this world than that stupid mistake. Call me… I want to explain all of this to you, if you'd give me the chance." Ben hung up dejectedly, knowing that he had done his best.

Now was time for the vigil… awaiting her call. He looked at his watch. Eleven forty-five. He would give her fifteen minutes before he called her again.

* * *

Raimundo checked to see if she was in her room. He knocked. No answer. Then he knew that he was right… she wasn't home, and she probably won't come back. Thinking this, he turned the doorknob and let himself in her room. This wasn't exactly trespassing after all, he reassured himself. Kimiko was his best friend. He had every right to check on her.

He began his search for her so-called diary. He knew it existed, because she had mentioned it sometime before. Although… he didn't have any idea as to where it was.

He was looking for the diary because he needed to find out if she was writing about him. Or perhaps, what she experienced with Ben. His heart pounded. He hoped that he wouldn't be caught snooping in her room…

Just as he was searching her drawers, the phone rang. He froze in place, too shocked to move. There it went again. _Ring. _It was begging to be answered, and that was the last thing Raimundo wanted to do. Finally, it played the recorded message of Kimiko on her personal answering machine. _"Hey, this is Kimiko. Sorry, I'm not here at the moment. Leave your message after the beep." **Beep.**_

Then he heard Ben's voice, in an apologetic and seemingly regretful manner. When he heard the message, he had no doubt that Ben Ashmond actually _loved _her. He heard the sincere note in his voice. Unless he was a really good actor and was able to impersonate sincerity. Raimundo doubted it. Ben may be a good actor, but he was actually convincing. Unlike some of the playboy guys that Raimundo knew about. Hardly any one of them could be sincere.

After Ashmond hung up, Raimundo stalked over to the answering machine. The button was flashing red.

Jealousy was getting the best of him. After hearing Ben's sorry speech, Raimundo wanted nothing more than to delete the whole message. So then Kimiko wouldn't have to hear that stupid apology. Raimundo felt wretched. He felt almost evil.

He stopped himself in time from pressing the delete button. He reminded himself that he wouldn't stoop down that low. He wasn't that kind of guy. He needed to let Kimiko know that he, Raimundo, loved her… through different means.

He went back to looking for Kimiko's diary. He was about to give up when he remembered that Kimiko had a laptop. Maybe she kept a computer journal…

He browsed through her files, and found a file marked "Top Secret". He opened it, revealing a blank word document. He tried selecting everything, and found out that the text was all there—in white. And then the first entry began on a specific date.

He tried reading through it, but stopped. This wasn't right. It was Kimiko's privacy. Then… the door to Kimiko's room flew open.

* * *

_To be continued…_

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A/N: Yup, cliffhanger. Please leave a review! I'll be doing Chapter 12, so see you soon. :) 


	12. Chapter XII

**--Chapter XII-- **

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Disclaimers: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown.

A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I bet you all want to know who opened the door in the last chapter… here's where you'll find out. Well, here's Chapter 12. Enjoy!

By the way, I'd like to thank those who reviewed Chapter XI personally. Thanks to **Cute Peridot816**, **justKoolkat**, **BAM Aesthetic**, and **Toothpaste**. Love you guys! Thank you sooo much for reviewing. You made my day. :)

* * *

Kimiko was walking on the road as soon as she finished her late night cocoa. She thought that she needed a walk to clear her thoughts.

_That's better, _she thought. _Now maybe I can get home to the Xiaolin Temple before midnight strikes._

"Are you… Kimiko?" a voice suddenly spoke up. Kimiko looked up, the street light illuminating a blond haired girl with sapphire blue eyes. Her eyes were searching Kimiko's, trying to find some kind of answer.

"Wait… I know you… you're Lucy, right?" Kimiko replied, staring her in the eye.

"Yes… how did you know?"

"I just remembered what you looked like, while Ben was busy talking to you." Kimiko replied, shuffling her feet. She knew that Lucy would get the message, and probably even figure out that she, Kimiko, wasn't speaking to Ben anymore.

Instead of replying quickly, though, Lucy was staring at the sidewalk with downcast eyes. She had a look of regret on her face. "Listen, Kimiko… I know you must have thought… that Ben and I were doing something behind your back. But I assure you, and I swear to God, I never had a part in his plan. It was all him. I'm so, so, sorry. If I only knew that he was dating you, I wouldn't have interfered." She apologized.

Kimiko wasn't sure how to reply. Finally, she said, "It's okay. It's not your fault, Lucy." Kimiko walked towards her. "Lucy, I know I'm asking on such short notice… but can we be friends?"

Lucy stared at her in disbelief. Kimiko could read through her expression that she was shocked that of all people, Kimiko was asking to be her friend.

"Sure, Kimiko…" They shook hands.

"Hey Lucy, why don't you take a walk with me?"

"Okay."

They walked side by side. "So what are you doing here, so late at night?"

"I just felt like I needed a walk to clear my thoughts, and my guilt about the whole thing with Ben." Lucy sighed. "I can't believe he could cheat on the both of us like that. I always thought he was a sweet guy."

"You know, Lucy, I thought so too. I guess we have to put him behind us and move on, don't you think?"

"Yes. But I still can't believe he would do something like that." Lucy paused. "So what are you doing here, Kimiko?"

"Coincidentally, the same as what you're doing. But I thought of getting some cocoa first."

"Oh, I see… have you talked with Ben?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, a while ago… Have you?"

"Not really. I think I'll talk to him about it tomorrow. I have a question, Kimiko…"

"Sure. Go ahead."

"Are you still getting back together with Ben? Or did I screw it all up for you two?"

"Well… no. I'm not even sure if I was attracted to Ben in the first place. Now I think I like someone else."

Lucy flashed a knowing smile. "Well… I wish you luck with that guy, whoever he is, then."

"Thanks, Lucy." Kimiko smiled. Later on, the two newfound friends parted ways, thanking each other for the company the other provided.

* * *

"Kimiko! Are you there?" Omi asked, entering the room. He looked around, seeing that Kimiko was not there. "Oh Kimiko! Where are you?"

"Hey, Omi. It's me."

"Raimundo? What are you doing in… Kimiko's room?" Omi asked suspiciously. Raimundo had a guilty look on his face, which meant that he wasn't supposed to be here.

"Yeah, I know, Kim didn't give me permission to enter her room but… I needed to see something." Raimundo said nervously. He knew he was caught in the act. Now he had to make sure that Omi won't tell Kimiko about him being in her room.

"Ah-hah! I caught you, Raimundo." Omi said mischievously.

"Oh come on, Omi. Just this one time, please don't tell her." Raimundo pleaded.

"Hey! What's the commotion here? I was just trying to get some sleep." Clay appeared at the door, beside Omi. Raimundo groaned.

"Oh man! What on earth are you guys doing out of bed at this time?" Raimundo said. He didn't understand it. Why did Omi and Clay choose to be awake at this very hour, and catching him in the act of trespassing in Kimiko's room? Clearly luck wasn't with him today.

"I just wanted to ask Kimiko if I could borrow her laptop! She told me that she would lend it to me sometime." Omi explained.

"And I was going for a glass of water when I heard your voices." Clay explained. "You guys were really noisy. Now what are YOU doing here, Raimundo?"

"He was sneaking around in Kimiko's room!" Omi pointed a finger at Raimundo accusingly.

"All right, all right, I'll explain my side of the story. But you guys have to promise that you won't tell Kimiko; or anyone else." Raimundo surrendered with a sigh.

In a few minutes, he told Omi and Clay about the whole Kimiko and Ben situation, and how he was attracted to Kimiko, and finally, what he had been doing in Kimiko's room.

Omi and Clay's faces turned from surprised to seemingly omniscient smiles. "So you're saying that you like Kimiko, huh? And you kept it from her all this time?" Clay asked.

"Yeah. I can't possibly tell her face-to-face! Ashmond and I had a bet, remember? And he said… the loser gets out of town. I have to win her heart through other means."

"And then you kissed her." Omi and Clay said together, with mischievous smiles.

"I did. But I don't know if it means something to her, or whatever." Raimundo said dejectedly. Come to think of it, Kimiko didn't really show him signs that she liked him back. Or did she…? Raimundo's head began spinning again.

"Hey, look, buddy. She did kiss you back, didn't she? Now that's one sure sign that she does like you." Clay told him.

"Are you sure?"

"Sure as hell, buddy."

The door to the Temple opened and closed. "She's home!" Raimundo said in a stage whisper.

The three friends scrambled to their feet and ran out of Kimiko's room.

* * *

Ben sat up, feeling queasy. She didn't call back. Now he would have to call her… He was about to pick up the receiver when the phone rang.

_Damn!_ He thought to himself. _Let's hope it's Kim. _

"_Hello? Ben?"_

It was Lucy. "Hi, Lucy. Yeah, it's Ben." Inwardly, he groaned. He didn't want to talk to her right now.

"_Ben." _Her voice sounded sad and melodic. _"I guess you know why I'm calling."_

"If you're going to break up with me too, go ahead. I don't care anymore!" Ben burst out.

"_As much as there is a need to break up… I don't want to. Don't you understand? I love you, Ben. And just because you cheated on me, I don't think it's a reason why I should stop loving you. I'm one of those people who believe in second chances."_

"Then I'm afraid I can't, Lucy. I've realized something very important. And with the fact that I know it's going to hurt you, I won't say it."

"_Ben… there are no secrets between us anymore! I offered you my love. My heart. My soul. What more do you want from me?"_

"I do not want anything from you! I was talking about Kimiko."

"_What about her?"_

"You don't understand! I love her, okay? I **love **her, like I've never loved anyone before."

There was sobbing in the background. He knew that she was crying. _"I would give anything to die right now. But I can't. It just hurts, you know?" _She said. Ben imagined the tears coursing down her cheeks. _"But this is where fate has to stab me with a knife. But they say… if you truly love a person… you'd do anything to make him happy. So Ben… that's what I'm going to do. I have… to let you go."_

Ben was struck by the way she told him this. She could let go of him… just because she knew that he loved someone else. He was almost driven to tears because of this.

"_If she means so much to you… I'd do anything to see that you two are together."_

"But she won't talk to me. She broke up with me, Lucy!"

"_Then… I'll arrange for her to meet you… somewhere. If that's what you want."_

Ben jumped at the chance. "Would you… would you really do that for me, Lucy?"

"_Yes, because it means so much to you."_

He was struck by her selflessness and love for him. He wished that he could love a girl like her—but his heart belonged to Kimiko, and no one else. "I don't know how to thank you, Lucy. But I'm grateful to have someone like you." He said. He felt sorry for her.

"_Ben… this is the hardest thing I've ever done. I just want to let you know… I'll always love you." _She said. And the last thing Ben heard before he hung up the phone was the sound of her crying.

* * *

Kimiko opened the door to her room. The Temple was unusually silent. She saw the answering machine flashing its red light in the corner, and her laptop was on.

She had a feeling that someone had just been in her room, but she remembered that the room was exactly the way she left it. She moved towards the answering machine, and played her messages.

"_Listen… Kimiko. It's Ben. I know I haven't been the best boyfriend to you, but apologizing is worth the try. I mean, I just can't let you slip away from me without making an effort, right? I want to prove to you that I really, really love you. I mean it, Kim. You're not just some girl to me. You're the one. I know this sounds stupid on the phone, but… Kim, I want us to get back to what we were before. Before I made this huge mistake. And let me tell you, Kim… there's nothing more I regret in this world than that stupid mistake. Call me… I want to explain all of this to you, if you'd give me the chance."_

Sympathy struck her for a minute, but after that she rolled her eyes, and pressed the delete button. She didn't need any more of his lies. He had to learn to live without her, and in turn… she would move on.

She thought of starting another entry in her computer journal.

_What a long day, _she typed. _This is one day I will never forget. Ben and I broke up. My friendship with Raimundo is beginning to blossom… and by blossoming, I mean that… we kissed._

_Wow. His kiss was different from Ben's, but remarkably… it meant more to me than it should have. I find myself thinking about him more… and more… and more… oh, I'm going crazy about him. _

_But the way he kissed me… it sort of indicated that we were crossing the friendship line. Do I want that to happen? _

_How could I love someone, and then break up with him and realize… that the one I really wanted… was here all along? Is that possible? _

_I forgot to mention that, aside from the kiss… he gave me a gift. He is just **so **thoughtful. How could I have never seen this before…?_

_And one more thing… when I looked into his eyes… I felt like I was sinking in the ocean. I felt so helpless, that I couldn't move. Does that mean something? 'Cause I know that when I looked into Ben's eyes… sure, it's green, like Raimundo's… but I didn't feel like sinking in the ocean. I felt chills because I knew… that Ben is cute. _

_But it's different. Now that my crush on him has faded, and we broke up for real… I think I'm ready to admit that…_

_All this time, I've been in love with Raimundo… _

* * *

A/N: Okay, that's a wrap! See ya next time for Chapter thirteen! In the meantime, pleaseeeee review! 


	13. Chapter XIII

**--Chapter XIII-- **

* * *

Disclaimers: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown. Though there are times that I wish that I did.

A/N: Once again, I know I've let you guys down… you probably thought I was dead for these past months, and here I am, resurrected again… Well, I wasn't dead literally, just killed by all the schoolwork (which is practically the same thing, but in this case, I think I survived…) I'm having my exams… Anyway, as a compensation for the missed chapters, I am going to finish it all tonight.

* * *

"Now you guys better shut up because she's home, and she'll know that we're talking about her. So keep your voices down." Raimundo said, crossing his arms.

He, Omi and Clay had just made it into Raimundo's room when they heard Kimiko's footsteps.

"Yeah, we know. We're not stupid." Clay said. "So what's your plan for her to like you, huh, Raimundo?"

Raimundo shrugged. "I've done a lot already. I danced with her, gave her a gift, been there for her when she needed to talk to me, let her cry on my shoulder after that irresponsible jerk Ashmond made her miserable, and I kissed her."

Kimiko's footsteps died away, and Raimundo heard the door close.

"The coast is clear," Clay announced.

"Okay, guys… I need some time to reflect on everything… would you excuse me?" Raimundo asked.

"Sure. We'll talk to you later, Raimundo," Omi said. He and Clay got up and walked out of his room.

* * *

Raimundo knew it was time to face the music, to face his feelings on his whole relationship with Kimiko. In short, everything.

The words rushed into him like a tornado. _What if she didn't love me? What if her heart truly belongs to Ashmond?_ The question rang anxiously in his mind, as he strove to find an answer.

His mind went blank. But the answer was so simple, wasn't it? _If Kimiko was really in love with Ashmond, seeing the way that she acted while Ben was courting her… then I would just have to give her up. Isn't that the right answer? When you really love someone, you'd give her up, knowing that it will make her happy, even if it will destroy you. And that's how it's meant to be…_

He recounted all his moments with Kimiko, and realized that there were evidences pointing out that perhaps she really loved Ben.

_But the kiss! Clay could be right. She wouldn't kiss back if she didn't like me, right? _He felt so confused. But then why did she come back only now, and not telling Raimundo if she and Ben were over? Some things just didn't add up.

_Maybe she loves me only as a friend. In any case, I can't stay here any longer… I can't face her, whether she is still with Ben or not. _

Deep inside his mind, he knew what he had to do. He took a spare bag, and packed all his belongings.

* * *

Kimiko paused as she typed that last sentence in her computer journal. She sighed contentedly, looking ahead to what her relationship with Raimundo might become. She felt the same chills she felt as she was dancing with him… and when she kissed him… She knew this was the right decision. She never felt more sure of anything before in her life.

Just then, an irritating beep broke the silence. Kimiko jumped up, and saw that Lucy had i-med her.

**LucyFriedman787: **Kimiko, I tried calling Ben. He loves you… he really loves you.

**Kimiko08: **Well… I really don't care. It's none of my business anymore.

**LucyFriedman787: **No, Kimiko, hear me out. It's different. I can see his sincerity, in his very eyes. And I don't see that when he looks at me… Kimiko, you are so lucky.

**Kimiko08: **So what do you want me to do about that?

**LucyFriedman787: **Just meet with him one last time. He wants you to meet him at the café.

**Kimiko08: **I don't really know if I should.

**LucyFriedman787: **Trust me on this, Kimiko. I know you won't regret it.

**Kimiko08: **Okay then… if you say so… I trust you, Lucy.

**LucyFriedman787: **Okay, Kimiko. He's waiting for you now. Go!

**Kimiko787 signed out.**

* * *

The café was as silent as it always had been, except for the music playing softly in the background. Ben was waiting quietly on a dusty table, not drinking anything. He knew that he couldn't let anything distract him now. If Lucy succeeded in convincing Kimiko to come, then everything would be fine.

But the thing was, he didn't know how long he should wait. However, he knew that he had to wait this out because he deserved it. Plus, he needed to wait for her. When was she going to come?

Ben wasn't a patient guy in reality. He knew that he wasn't, and in the past, that hadn't been much of a problem. He had all the girls he needed.

Kimiko provoked his thoughts. He saw his mistakes, and how wrong he was for playing girls.

He sighed. He looked up when the bell at the door signaled the entrance of a customer.

He sighed once more, with an air of relief. Kimiko was finally here… _Don't blow it, Ben. _He thought. _This is your last chance._

* * *

Kimiko saw Ben at once and headed straight for him. She felt the anticipation stirring her nerves, and making her conscious of every move she made. This was going to be hard.

She determined that she wouldn't show how intimidated she felt. She needed to remain cool and strong. She heightened her resolve as she sat on the seat across him.

"Hi Kimiko. I think you know why I am here."

"Well yes. Lucy said you needed to talk to me… so here I am. So what do you want to tell me?"

There was an awkward moment of silence. Kimiko thought that he wasn't going to say anything, when he suddenly reached for her hands in a grip that she knew she couldn't escape from.

There were tears streaming down his face, and as Lucy had verified, she saw the sincerity in his eyes. The blue eyes she used to love and made her fall for him so badly…

In a slightly inaudible whisper, he said the words, "I love you Kimiko… please stay with me. I can't say anything more that will make you stay with me. I know I should try… but there are no words that can do that. What I feel for you is so much more unexplainable than I realized. You've taught me so much by coming into my life…"

Kimiko was speechless. It was a touching speech, and it drove a guilty arrow straight into her heart. She knew his heart was breaking, deep inside him. She felt the tremor in his touch. She gently pried his hands off hers, and touched her palms on his wrists.

"Listen, Ben… I'm sorry to say this, but I can't… I can't stay with you."

* * *

A/N: Gonna cut it there as a cliffhanger, but it will all be finished in the next chapter, I promise. 


	14. Chapter XIV

**--Chapter XIV-- **

* * *

Disclaimers: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown.

A/N: This is the last chapter, so I'd like to say a humongous THANK YOU to my reviewers! You guys cheered me up and kept supporting me even if I've been having writer's block and late updates… I'm so sorry… Honestly and truly, I am. So, I hope that you would like this last chapter, and your reviews are greatly appreciated. :)

* * *

Ben could not believe his ears. After all he had risked, after all he had put at stake for her… and all she had to say was that she couldn't stay?

He felt a surge of energy and emotion pulse through his body. He couldn't identify it at first, but he felt… strong anger. Angry at himself, and… angry at the person sitting across him at that very moment…

He was lost in rage. He was screaming inwardly, like a crazed maniac. Nothing made sense to him anymore.

"Kimiko, get out of here… now… Before I blow up… I'm telling you…" He said in a frightful whisper. He was clenching his fists, barely able to move.

"What?"

"I said, GET OUT OF HERE. I'm going to explode in a few moments, and I can't let you see me like this." He said as calmly as he could. It was only a few moments, a few seconds…

Kimiko stood up and backed away slowly. _Come on! Why can't you move any faster, damn it! _Ben thought. He could feel the anger and blood pulsing through his veins… capillaries… making its way to his heart…

"Hey! What the hell is going on here!" the café owner was saying, getting into the scene. He had noticed Ben's strange and threatening behavior, and wanted to know what the trouble was.

"I'm sorry sir, it's just that he—" Kimiko could not finish her sentence because Ben was already glaring at her. She knew he wasn't sane anymore.

The café owner tensed up as he saw the expression on Kimiko's face. "Call the police, hurry." He said to Kimiko discreetly.

Ben was going crazy. He picked up a table with all his strength and lifted it over his shoulders. He felt that he just had to break something. With immense force and power, he brought it down to the floor, destroying the thick wood and cracking the table in the middle.

Kimiko used her cell phone to contact the police officers to come immediately. After speaking to a few officers, she hung up and told the owner, "There, sir, I asked the police to come here."

"Okay. Now we have to calm the young man down." He was referring to Ben, who was continually becoming hysterical and hard to control.

"I'm sorry, sir, I have to go. I am so sorry about your table." Kimiko said in humble apology.

"It's okay. But are you sure you cannot stay longer to console your boyfriend?"

Kimiko felt another pain surge through her heart. "He's not my boyfriend, sir. I really have to go."

"Okay then. I hope you enjoyed your stay. I'll handle this."

"Okay, thank you so much."

She walked briskly down the street, getting farther away from the café, and thought about the disturbance she caused. She reflected on how much more destructive her relationship with Ben could have been if it had continued. Now she had something else to do, something much harder than listening to Ben confess his feelings to her.

She had to tell Raimundo she loved him.

* * *

Raimundo checked his watch. It was late. Almost time to leave the Temple. He thought of how much he would miss Master Fung, Clay, Omi, Dojo, and most especially Kimiko. They had all been so good to him. He left them each an individual note.

He was sad to find out that Kimiko was not home. He could not say goodbye to her, and yet he felt that it would be easier to let him go if he did not say his final goodbyes.

He thought of the reason behind why he was leaving the Temple. He decided to go back to Brazil, and live as an ordinary teenager again. He wanted that life back. But why was it paining him so much?

_Face it, Rai. The real reason why you are leaving is because of Kimiko. And you can't even say your final goodbye to her. _He told himself.

Raimundo tried to convince himself that he was doing this for a greater cause. He could not stay here and keep hindering Kimiko from her relationship with Ben. The bet with Ben was a mistake. He saw that now.

He knew why Ben wanted to take on the bet in the first place. Ben was confident that he would win, confident that he would get Kimiko's heart and keep it for his own. How lucky he was.

This was not just about leaving town, as their bet had implied upon the both of them. This was about love. Raimundo loved Kimiko enough to leave her alone with her life and with Ben, who was the rightful winner.

He sighed. It was time to leave, and to say goodbye to everyone he held close to his heart. Deep inside, he knew he had no courage to do it. They all meant so much to him. _Kimiko, wherever you are right now, even if you are kissing Ben and making up with him… I hope that you will always be all right, and that you would be happy with your life at present._ He thought finally, and made up his mind to leave. He picked up his suitcases, and came out of the front door.

* * *

There he was. She stared bluntly through the darkness. She had just come from the café, and her vision was being obscured by the dark night.

She couldn't feel her tongue forming the words, "Raimundo!" as she rushed to him and flung her arms around him.

"Whoa, it's okay, Kim. What's the matter?" she heard him say.

"Oh, Raimundo. If you only knew… But first, I have to say that I was out because I was with Ben."

"Ben? Well then… why are you here now?"

"It's a long story." She said impatiently. She was running out of breath.

"Tell me."

"He had to tell me something… but it doesn't matter now, because, Raimundo, I have something important to tell you… And I can't believe I never realized it, after so long—"

"Okay. What is it?"

"Raimundo, I love you."

Raimundo was speechless. He didn't know what to say. The words sank into his mind. And at last, he found the power to speak. "You… love me?"

"Yes, I do. I've been so blind… All this time, I've loved you. I couldn't admit it to myself, but today, I realized…"

Raimundo cut her short by putting his arms around her and wrapping her in a passionate kiss. The kiss enraptured them so, that they never noticed the time of the night, and Kimiko never noticed Raimundo's suitcases on the ground.

* * *

**Epilogue**

"Raimundo… I can't hold on much longer."

"Well just try."

"Oh come on…"

Raimundo and Kimiko were playing a fighting game on PS2. Kimiko knew she was going to lose, but she needed to hold on for a few more moments. She just couldn't give in to her boyfriend.

YOU WIN flashed on the screen. "Hah! Victory is mine!" Raimundo cheered.

Kimiko came near him and gently kissed him on the cheek. "Well, congratulations."

"Awww. You're not the sore loser tonight, huh, Kim?"

"No I'm not. I love you, Rai."

"Thanks. I love you too, Kim."

**End of Epilogue.**

* * *

A/N: Yes, it's finally done… hehe. Well I hope you guys enjoyed reading it. :) Hope to see you in my future Xiaolin fics, God bless to all and see you:) 


	15. Epilogue

_Epilogue _

_(Otherwise known as, what became of Ben Ashmond)_

* * *

**Prologue of the Epilogue:** Procured Thoughts from a Agitated Mind

* * *

He was reduced to watching from the distance; waiting for a chance that was never likely to come. That's all he was right now: his existence in the shadows. He had been envied once; he had everything he wanted. The only thing he could think of was how he could let them all slip from his iron grasp.

He knew he lost everything. His prestige… his former popularity… the girls, the swarming crowds of people who wanted to be with him; the jealousy reflected in other guys' eyes as they passed him by. He could practically see the envious glints in their eyes.

He now knew that he took all of that for granted. And as each painful realization dawned on him, there was only one thing he wanted so dearly to hold on to that it was almost an inhuman passion. An unexplainable obsession cultivated in his mind that it caused him more agony than losing everything that mattered.

That inhuman passion of his was unrequited love—love that he had abused and left to rot. He wondered why regret and pain always came after realizing the value of something you've lost.

He fell for her… badly. He never knew it till the last second. Then she was taken away from him by a person he was determined to hate. And whilst he hated her boyfriend with every fiber of his being, he knew where he had gone wrong. Strangely enough, he knew why she preferred her boyfriend over him.

Life really knew how to stab him where it hurt most.

* * *

**Part I. **

**Move on.**

* * *

"Son, you must stop this. You don't know what you're doing." A calm voice seemed to say, far off from where Ben was standing.

"I DON'T NEED YOUR ADVICE!! No one can tell me what I have to do!!" he screamed. Why couldn't _anyone _understand? He didn't _need _their help. He was better off on his own.

"Hard as it may seem to be," the café owner continued, despite Ben's outrage, "Your girlfriend left you. Can't you face that? Just move on."

'_If you just knew how hard that would be,' _Ben thought to himself sarcastically. This old man didn't know anything about loving someone.

"Believe me, it's for the best. _Move on._"

Those stinging words again. He didn't want to hear them, not now, not ever.

"I had a wife once, and four kids. She left me for someone else when she thought that I was more in love with my job; she had the divorce papers in her hands when I got home. What else could I do? I couldn't leave my work behind. But she suspected that I had another woman. Then I found out later on after she left, that she lived with a man she was seeing while she was married to me. See what traitors women are? Would you want to have the same fate, the same destiny?" the café owner said, exasperation written all over his face.

Ben didn't want to listen, but he heard the words. Each word hit him with a stinging pain, like a poisoned dart hit him. He dropped the table he was carrying, waking up from his frenzy. _He's right. _

_Am I just going to stand here, throwing tantrums just because I couldn't get the girl I wanted? Is that all I'm ever going to be? _His thoughts were crashing over him like a wave.

Minutes later, he was outside the café, breathing in the cool night breeze that brought him a more serene atmosphere. The smoke emanating from the police vehicles and the sirens blazing through the night were gone.

* * *

**Part II.**

**Heartbroken… and Helpless**

* * *

So Ben was reduced to watching from the distance. He followed Kimiko and Raimundo around, wherever they went—be it a date, romantic stroll, or candlelit dinner… he saw them all.

So it was stalking. He knew that, but he didn't care. He didn't care if it broke his heart continually; all he cared about was taking in the sight of the girl he wanted to be with, and imagining that he was the one across her, holding her hand, hugging her, giving her a sweet caress… how he would have loved to be Raimundo…

He trudged along the sidewalk. Months had gone by… but to Ben, it felt like centuries. How he missed those times that he took for granted. Here he was, heartbroken… and helpless…

Worst of all, he couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't just take the courage, go up to her, and tell her how he felt. Somehow that would ruin everything. Kimiko would think he was a jerk to try apologizing to her again.

It was raining hard. _'Great. I don't even have my jacket.' _He thought, cursing himself. Kimiko and Raimundo weren't even going on a date that night… he had taken this short walk for nothing. They weren't following their usual routine by going to the restaurant, and occasionally stopping by the movies to see if anything good was on. There was no sign of them anywhere.

He took this chance to walk around dejectedly. He felt so useless.

"Oh God, please, if you can hear me… give me a sign… I feel so wretched, so useless. If I could only stop this pain… it stings like hell… come on, end my agony…"

Prayers were really not his thing, but he found himself clasping his hands together, whispering to the harsh blowing wind. If God could only see him right now… if Kimiko could see him right now…

Then he bumped into someone, unaware of where he was going. He looked up to see who it was.

"Amy?"

* * *

**Part III.**

**Just Like Him.**

* * *

"Amy Henderson? What are you doing here?"

"Ben. Ben Ashmond. I should be asking the same question…" the girl said. The jacket and hood she was wearing was shielding her practically stained mascara and her fiery red hair.

"Um… Just walking around. What about you?"

"I'm doing the same thing."

"Do you want to take a walk together?"

"Sure. I don't mind." Her voice didn't have its usual bossy quality. This time she sounded particularly… melancholy. This was not the Amy he knew.

Ben attempted to strike up a conversation to get to the real reason why she was out here in the rain. "So did something happen, Amy? Is there anything wrong?"

"It's nothing. Really."

"I'm not so sure that I believe that."

"Believe what you want to. I don't think it's any of your business."

Silence reigned. It was awkward standing there with her, when she obviously didn't want to tell him the reason why she was so upset.

"If you can't tell me, then how would I be able to help you?"

Amy sighed. "Well. I don't know… I just feel like everyone hates me, you know? I've felt this ever since the dance. I could see the look in the eyes of so many people, when I approach them. I feel like I can't get along with anybody."

Ben smiled to himself, despite his classmate's obvious melancholy. He was beginning to realize that Amy was starting to see her own arrogance. He suddenly remembered that he was practically like that before, before he lost everything.

More importantly, he thought that: Amy was just like him. He knew how she felt. They were like two lost souls…

"Amy," he said. "This may sound very weird to you, but I know how you feel."

If Amy was surprised, she didn't show it. She still had the gloomy look on her face. "Yeah… It feels like people can't accept you the way you are. Even the ones you care about… or want to make friends with. I try, but… just seeing the judgmental looks on people's faces, I get discouraged and… the nastiness comes out. I can't help it." She sighed.

He took her hand in his, feeling her sadness. "It's okay, Amy. You're not alone. I'm here with you."

Tears had actually begun coursing their way down her face. She wiped them away with a hand gesture. "Really?" she asked him, hesitant to believe him at first.

"Yeah… We could stick up for each other, you know." He smiled weakly. "You remember the girl I was with in the dance?"

"Yeah I remember her. Kimiko, right?"

"Yes. Her. Well… things sort of happened. I… I love her, but I took her for granted." Now the tears came.

The two of them said nothing, hands still intertwined. Their silence comforted each other. How had they come to be so alone… Alone with no one to care for them…

And now… they had each other.

* * *

**Epilogue of the Epilogue: **The Aftermath

* * *

Amy and Ben have been inseparable since that lonesome night. They became fast and intimate friends, and their understanding of each other deepened.

Amy, on Ben's advice and comfort, grew more sentimental and sensitive towards others' feelings towards her. Ben, on the other hand, learned not to take advantage of the people he cared about.

His feelings for Kimiko eventually receded and became a distant memory that served as a lesson. He stopped stalking Kimiko and Raimundo and let them resume their old lives.

Finally, he understood that it was no use erasing the past… but he could still face the future.

Life just goes on…

* * *

A/N: Um yeah, you could say… I wanted to think up a suitable ending for Ben. Hope you liked it, even if it wasn't a sad ending for him (like he so obviously deserves.) Well, I thought that it would be better for him to learn his lesson… Please review :) 


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